


Petals

by aqueenofokay



Series: Flowers [2]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-04-05 00:25:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 66,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aqueenofokay/pseuds/aqueenofokay
Summary: "In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state."Once the petals have fallen from the flower, they cannot be put back.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my gosh you guys! Never before have I had so many people asking for a sequel to Flowers! I'm so so so excited about Petals! The soundtrack is coming soon! I will continue posting this fic as soon as Venefica is done so make sure to check out Venefica if you haven't already! Also, I have posted four shorts on my Tumblr blog which span the time gap between Flowers and Petals! You can find them here: http://ghosstkid.tumblr.com/tagged/flowers-fic (You don't have to have read them before reading chapter one of Petals, but they do expand on some things mentioned). 
> 
> Thank you guys so so much for the support! It's amazing! I hope you enjoy!!

 

Music filled the air. The large house in the Hollywood hills glowed and sparkled. The city below glimmered brightly in the night. Girls danced around the pool, their short dresses and expensive red bottom shoes glittering. The bar was just as crowded, ice cubes clinking in crystal glasses, little pink umbrellas placed atop margaritas. In the living room, each piece of furniture costing more than a month’s rent, were more people in designer dresses and suits, lines of cocaine and a pill bottle on the glass coffee table. Sitting in a white leather chair, a brunette on his lap, was a man in a white suit, his hair slicked back with just a little bit too much gell.

“Sir…” A man in all black approached him hesitantly, tapping on his shoulder. The man turned, annoyed.

“What?”

“Someone is here to see you...out front.” He sounded nervous.

“Who is it?”

“He said he’s...he’s delivering a bouquet.”

“From who?”

“Brian, sir.”

“Why the fuck would he send me flowers?” The man said, getting up abruptly. The girl on his lap shot him a glare before walking away, her heels clicking on the white floor.

“I asked the same thing. He just said he’s doing what he’s told.” The man in the suit pushed past the messenger, heading to the front door.

He passed a group of girls in sparkling dresses, one of them, a tall girl with silvery blonde hair, watching him go by with a sharp stare.

The man pushed open the front door.

“No one ever just does what they are told. Wait here.” He said to the man in black. He closed the door, looking around with wide eyes. There was no one there. He slowly made his way down the steps to the driveway that was full of expensive cars.

“Whose out here? You said you got flowers from Brian?” He called out, making his way down the driveway. Someone passed one of the cars. He reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a switchblade. The gold blade glinted in the dim light. He made his way down to the road. Under the streetlamp was an expensive looking Yamaha motorcycle painted gold and gunmetal black. Pain suddenly exploded from the back of his neck as a leather-gloved fist came down on his back. He fell forward, staggering to turn around, swinging the blade. A man dressed in a black and yellow motorcycle suit, a black helmet over his head stood behind him; the vizor was too dark to see any of his features. “You…” He had heard about him. Brian’s new hitman. The man in the suit swung at him again, the gold blade flashing. His hand was caught by a leather gloved hand and twisted. The front door of the house opened. The featureless man turned, pulling a gun from his belt and shot at the man in black. There was no gunshot, the silencer suppressing the sound. Glass cracked. A scream from inside was heard as red blood splattered onto the white wall.

The man in the suit cried out in pain as his hand was pulled forward, forcing him to his knees. The man with the dark helmet swung his leg up and brought his foot down on his head, his heavy boot colliding with his skull. His teeth bit into his tongue as his chin hit the pavement. “Fuck!” He spat blood onto the ground. “Just doing what you’re told eh? You’re just a dog...A trained, stupid dog.”

"I can make money off doing what I’m told. I can survive doing what I’m told.” A muffled voice from under the helmet said, his grip on his gun tightening. The man in the suit struggled to get to his feet, grabbing the blade from where it had fallen. He swung at the man in front of him who tried to step out of the way but wasn’t quick enough. The blade sliced open his shoulder, cutting open the leather. He hissed in pain, his gloved hand reaching up to the cut, it came away bloody. The man in the suit suddenly tackled him.

He heard a crack as the helmet hit the pavement. The gun slipped from his hand, skidding across the driveway.

Brian’s hitman struggled to stop him from pulling the helmet off. He cut at the strap, throwing the helmet down the driveway.

The wide eyes of a boy stared up at him.

He wrapped his hands around the boy’s neck, putting all of his weight down on his throat. Gasping for air, the boy pressed his gloved hands against the man’s face, his thumbs digging into his eyes. Unable to take the pain anymore, he let out a cry of anger, forced to let go of the boy he had pinned down the pavement. The boy rolled, throwing him down against the pavement. Getting to his feet, he kicked the man hard in the ribs before stomping on his head. Dazed, the man looked up at the boy, saliva and blood dripping from his mouth. He watched the boy reach for his gun.

It was then it occurred to the man who this boy might really be. He had heard the rumours. Had heard about Tyler’s death.

“J-Jonathan said you weren’t good with guns…” The man taunted. The look on the boy’s face confirmed his suspicions. He didn’t get the opportunity to revel in it. The boy pulled the trigger. Blood, bits of flesh and bone splattered onto the pavement and the wheel of a red convertible.

“Fuck…” The boy sighed, putting his gun away. He put a hand to his shoulder, the leather slick with blood. “Fuck.” Reaching into his pocket he took out his phone. There was a flash as he took a picture. Blood from his glove smeared onto the phone case. He bent down, picking up the golden knife. Wiping his blood off, he admired the way it glinted in the light. He’d add it to his collection.

Walking down the driveway, he picked up his helmet, hoping it wouldn’t fall off on his way back. He sent the photo and tucked his phone back into his pocket before getting on his bike that he had left under the streetlamp.

Turning the key, he revved the engine before speeding down the hill towards the city. The engine roared, the lights glinting off the gold metal. The motorbike turned onto the highway at the bottom of the hill. He liked to take the long way after a job. Lights danced across the glossy surface of his helmet. The bike passed dangerously between cars. The sky overhead was orange, manmade shooting stars flying overhead. His shoulder burned, blood dripping down the leather. His grip tightened on the handlebars. He looked over his shoulder before crossing to the exit. Towering buildings soon surrounded him, the roar of the engine echoing off glass walls. He turned the bike into a driveway down to a hotel’s underground parking lot. He parked it beside a black Cadillac, kicking down the kickstand. He got off, pocketing the keys and headed for the elevator. He pressed the button for the penthouse and leaned back against the gold wall.

When the doors finally opened, he hurried down the red-carpeted hall to the door, knocking twice. It was opened by Anthony who gave him a smile, letting him in. A blonde man sitting by the window looked up at him then quickly got up, a worried expression spreading across his face.

“You’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine…” The boy’s voice was muffled.

“I can’t hear you.” The man in the suit walked over to him and took off the boy’s helmet, surprised to see the strap cut and the bruises that had blossomed across his neck. Then he noticed the blood.

“I’m sorry. I should have expected him to have some kind of small weapon...”

“Don’t apologize.” Brian smiled. He placed a gentle hand on the boy’s cheek. “You did a good job, Evan.”

 

“Look it, we gave you ten grand. There is only six grand in here! Where the fuck is our money?”

“It's the charge.”

“Charge?”

“For storing your stolen money. We get a piece. Simple.”

“Fuck you! You didn’t tell us about no fucking charge!”

“We did. We told him about the charge, right Evan?” Attention turned to the boy sitting on the metal counter. He took another sip from his sweet frappuccino and took the green straw out of his mouth. The white fluorescent lights reflected off the silver metallic jacket he wore. His expensive white shoes gently kicked against the counter. Black sunglasses covered his eyes.

“You’re right, Marcel. We did tell them.” Evan confirmed. He peered over his sunglasses at the two men who faced Marcel, a feeling of amusement making it hard not to smile. He bit the green straw and looked away.

“Fuck you! We did not!” One of them cried, shoving Marcel.

“Fucking touch me again, I dare you.” Marcel snarled. Evan tensed, his hand slowly sliding into the pocket of his metallic jacket. His fingers curled around the golden switchblade.

“What are you gonna do, huh tough guy?” The man growled at Marcel. Evan set his cup down, pulling the blade from his pocket. The light flickered off it as he swung the blade out. Marcel didn’t notice. The quieter man glanced at it and quickly nudged his partner.

“It’s fine...It’s fine. Thanks for storing our money.” The second man said. Evan tucked his blade back into his pocket and took a sip from his drink before Marcel could turn around see, regret over his recklessness making his chest tighten. “Nice doing business with you.” They gathered up the piles of bills into their bag, quickly leaving the kitchen.

“Am I threatening?” Marcel asked when they left. Evan tensed. “I never seem to get into fights anymore...Not that I am complaining...Am I just that threatening that no one wants to fight me?”

“I wouldn’t fight you,” Evan said quietly.

“I know you wouldn’t, you don’t fight anyone...but like, the average gang member we run into. Do they not want to fight me?”

“I can’t say.”

“Whatever. Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.” Evan pushed himself off the counter, following Marcel out of the kitchen.

“Go do what you gotta do with the vault. Oh… Daithi asked for another five hundred.” Marcel said as they walked down the hall. Evan’s eyes locked onto the broom closet, the door long since replaced.

“Again? What for this time?” Evan sighed as they made their way into the lobby.

“I don’t know. You know how he can be. He sees something he likes, he wants it.” Marcel shrugged. “We’re all like that. You bought that stupid tin foil jacket for three hundred dollars last month.” He laughed, pulling at the sleeve of the metallic jacket that Evan wore. “Hey.” Marcel stopped. “What happened to your neck?” He pulled the lapel of Evan’s jacket, his eyes on the bruise that had formed there.

“I-I tripped over some girl’s bag on the beach yesterday. I landed on her friend’s bag.” Evan shrugged.

“How the fuck did you manage that?” Marcel laughed. Evan shrugged.

“I have a gift,” Evan said with a smile. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He quickly turned away from Marcel, heading up the stairs to the second floor. He pressed his hand over the bruise on his chest, feeling anxiety spilling over in his chest. He frantically unlocked the door to room 215 and closed it behind him. He gasped for air, slowly sliding down the door to the floor. “Fuck….Fuck…” He had to be more careful. He hated lying to them. He wouldn’t have to lie to them if they didn’t notice the bruises, the panic, the fear. He took a deep breath. He couldn’t stay here for any longer than five minutes or there would be more questions Evan couldn’t answer. Slowly, he crawled across the dirty carpet to the vault. He pressed the five buttons, four, one, eight, two, five, and opened the vault door. Stacks of money filled the large metal box. He did a quick count and took five hundred for Daithi.

Rebuilding the vault after what Jonathan did to it when he stole all the money had been a long process. Two years later, and it still wasn’t the same. It was Craig who came up secretly with the idea of taking money from what potential ‘clients’ would give them to keep in the vault to make laundering easier. They could use that money for what they wanted so long as the same amount stayed in the vault. They explained to the others a security fee, in which they get paid for taking the risk of storing the illegal money. They had thought it was reasonable, not aware of why they were really taking it. It was complicated and they all knew it. They forgot numbers, miscounted and yelled at clients over it. All of them, save for Evan, had signed up for a gang life of shootouts, fast cars, and clubs, not math and business, but it was what Tyler had wanted for them; safety.

Sighing, Evan closed the vault, locking it and got up. He folded the bills into his pocket and headed for the door. He stopped, looking around the small, empty room. He took a deep breath and lowered his sunglasses back over his eyes.

 

The black and yellow Charger cruised down the busy, sun-warmed streets of Los Angeles. Sunlight reflected off Evan’s expensive sunglasses.

“Whats with the glasses lately?” Marcel asked, keeping his eyes on the road. “You’ve been wearing them fucking everywhere.”

“I don’t know…” Evan shrugged.

“You think you’re a celebrity or something?” Marcel laughed.

“No.”

“Mhmm.”

“I don’t know why...I just like them.” Evan rolled his eyes, leaning his head against his hand. Marcel turned the car into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant, red tables with red umbrellas lining the front of the restaurant. “Are you done making fun of me?”

“Aw, sorry Ev. I’ll lay off.” Marcel smiled, getting out of the car. Evan took off his seatbelt and followed him, his metallic jacket glinting in the light.

“Hey. I like your jacket.” Evan froze. A group of girls were sitting around one of the picnic tables, the table top covered with fries, burgers and milkshakes. The girl that had spoken had her ombre hair back in boxer braids, her circular glasses resting on the sparkling tip of her nose. She wore a lose yellow jean jacket over a matching yellow jean skirt, a white lacey crop top underneath.

“Uh...thanks,” Evan said awkwardly, glancing at Marcel who hid his smile and kept walking for the door. A redhead sitting in the sun in a black checkered dress and pink sunglasses watched him.

“Sami.” One of the girl’s hidden in the shade of the umbrella hissed. Evan met the older girl’s gaze. Her silvery blonde hair was loose around her shoulders, her eyes seeming to pierce right through him. For a moment, fear shot through his chest.

Did she know who he was?

Quickly, Evan turned and hurried after Marcel, desperate to forget about the blonde girl’s stare.

 

Sparkling waves crashed into the sandy shore. Venice beach was full of people, restaurants overflowing like the sparkling drinks they served, souvenir shops full of tourists looking for the perfect L.A. themed gift to bring back home with them, the beach and pier dotted with locals just off work eager to relax and tourists admiring the wide open horizon. Lining the beach, apartments and large houses with massive windows and balconies to drink in the sunlight glinted in the late afternoon light.

On the patio of one of these apartments, Evan lounged on a comfy lounge chair, his sunglasses over his closed eyes. He wore a t-shirt and comfy shorts, dozing in the warm sunlight. He doubted he’d sleep much tonight. Around his neck was a towel, hiding the bruises on either side of his throat, the new cut on his arm hidden under his sleeve. Brian had stood over him while it was stitched up, a cup of whiskey in his hand.

On the table by the lounge chair was a glass of spiked lemonade. Music spilt out the large, open sliding glass door. There was a loud yell over a video game and a laugh. In the large white kitchen, another can of spiked lemonade was opened and an empty one tossed away, adding to the pile growing under their sink. Upstairs, Smitty sat by the window in his room, cleaning his rifle. Glancing through the soft billowing white curtains, he could see the wide open beach and the ocean, the sunlight sparkling off the waves. Looking down, he could see Evan dozing on the patio. He always seemed tired lately. Setting his gun down, Smitty got up, heading down the stairs, past his friends sitting on the couch, the large TV lit up with the brightly coloured game, split into four screens.

“Hey.” Evan opened his eyes, raising his glasses to look back at the door. Smitty smiled at him. He wore a loose white t-shirt over jeans, the new tattoo on his wrist catching Evan’s eye. It was a bundle of soft yellow buttercups tied with a black ribbon that wrapped around his wrist. Marcel had said it looked too much like his black-eyed-susans on his arm but Smitty got it anyways.

“Does it hurt?” Evan has asked, sitting on a black velvet chair in the tattoo parlour, watching the artist. Smitty shrugged.

“No. Are you gonna get one?” Smitty smiled. Evan looked down at the picture on his phone that he had finally decided on. Late at night, when he finally got home from the jobs Brian sent him out to do, he would sit in the bathtub of icy water to ease his muscles or lie in bed, listening to the waves and googling flowers and their meanings, imaging himself matching the rest of the boys in the house.

“No...I might go home still.” Evan had said quietly. “My mom doesn’t like tattoos.” And that was the end of it. Evan kept the picture of the flower saved on his phone.

“Are you okay?” Smitty asked now, sitting down on the opposite chair. Evan nodded, lowering his sunglasses back over his eyes. “Truth or dare?”

“Smitty...I’m tired.” Evan sighed. He loved playing the game with Smitty. It had started when they moved in and Smitty had dared him to jump off the pier. Ever since, they had been challenging each other to up the dare, the truths.

“Truth or dare?”

“Fine...Truth.”

“Are you okay?” Evan slowly turned to look at Smitty, lowering his sunglasses to look him in the eye.

“I’m okay.”

“Marcel said there are bruises on your neck…Did someone choke you?”

“You didn’t say truth before that question.” Evan sat back in the lounge chair, his chest tightening. “Your turn. Truth or dare?” Smitty sighed, looking out over the ocean.

“Dare.”

“Down a whole can of that lemonade,” Evan said casually.

“Weak.” Smitty laughed, getting up. He stepped inside to get a can, leaving Evan alone on the patio for a moment. Evan closed his eyes tightly, mentally kicking himself for letting Marcel see the bruises. Of course, he’d say something to the guys. “Okay. Do I have a time limit?”

“No. Just drink it.”

“Easy,” Smitty said, opening the can. Evan didn’t turn around to watch him. A moment later, the empty can flew past him and landed on the patio by the railing. “Your turn. Truth or truth.”

“Hey.” Evan sat up quickly. “That’s not how this game works.” The boy snarled.

“I don’t care.” Smitty shot back. Evan stared at him with wide eyes. Was Smitty going to make him lie again to his face? Evan clenched his jaw. Smitty held his stare.

“Truth,” Evan whispered.

“What do you want for your birthday?” Evan couldn’t help but burst into laughter, falling back onto the lounge chair, relief loosening the anxiety in his chest. “It’s like...three days away and you haven’t told me what you want.”

“I don’t want anything.” Evan shrugged. “I’m...I’m happy.” Smitty noticed the hesitation in Evan’s words. Evan looked up at him with a smile. “Truth. I am.”

 

The neon streets were still busy at the late hour. Clubs filled with people, their lights flashing in time with the music. On the corner of a small street in Venice not far from the beach and the expensive apartments that lined the sand, outside a Vietnamese restaurant, was a black Cadillac. A young man in black crossed the road, walking towards the fluorescently lit restaurant, careful not to lose the heavy baton tucked into his jacket. Around his neck was a black surgical mask. He pulled open the door, the neon open sign flashing above his head. In the middle of the restaurant was a man in a suit, his Rolex watch glinting in the light. Beside him was his driver.

“Have you eaten?” Brian asked as the young man in black sat down.

“You know I don’t eat before a job.” Evan answered.

“I insist, eat something.” Brian pushed the menu towards him. Evan stared at him. Brian blinked. “I said eat something.” Evan stared at the menu. He knew he couldn't stomach food but he feared not doing what he was told. “Evan.”

“Where is this job tonight?” Evan asked, hesitantly pushing the menu back towards Brian whose jaw tightened. Evan didn't dare meet his gaze.

“I’d prefer to tell you after you’ve-”

“The kid isn’t hungry.” Anthony suddenly said, startling Brian. Evan's eyes widened. Anthony bit into a spring roll, casually meeting Brian’s gaze. Seeing something dark in Brian’s gaze, Evan quickly grabbed the plate of spring rolls and bit into one.

“I thought you said you weren’t hungry,” Brian said, his tone sharp enough to cut skin.

“I am,” Evan said after he had swallowed. Brian suddenly stood up and grabbed Evan’s collar, yanking him to his feet.

“Don’t think I won't notice when I'm being humoured...And when I'm being challenged." He shot a glare at Anthony who lowered his eyes. "Do what you’re told.” He shoved Evan back into his chair. Brian fixed his suit before sitting back down. An ambulance sped past outside, it's red and white lights flashing momentarily through the restaurant. “A club over in the hills.” Evan started to open his mouth to remind Brian that they had agreed on no clubs but thought better of it. “It’s a big one but you’re ready for it.” Brian smiled. “Now order something. The pho here is good.”

Evan did what he was told.

After dinner, Evan followed Brian and Anthony to the Cadillac, wishing that he had his bike, that he could be alone before the job. As a kid, he’d always loved motorcycles, the feeling of the wind and the open world. Now that he had one, it was everything he hoped for and more. It was his escape. No one could catch him.

The door closed, trapping him in the car. Evan slowly turned his head to look at Brian who sat beside him as Anthony got into the driver’s seat, turning the key. The car rumbled to life.

“We haven’t talked about Jonathan in awhile,” Evan said quietly, nervous to bring up something he wanted to talk about.

“I’m aware,” Brian said, glancing at Evan. “What about him?”

“Are you any closer to finding him?”

“A little bit. These guys tonight...They have some information. Feel free to beat it out of them.”

“What have they done to you?”

“They’ve been running a little drug operation that’s been taking from my business. Apparently, they have a shipment next week and quite a bit of money coming in. I need you to give them a talking to. They need to know that that money is coming to me, no matter what.” Brian explained.

“Sure...I’m your dog.”

“You’re a good boy.” Brian laughed. Evan didn’t. The lights of the city reflected off the window as they drove through the neon streets. “How about this...As an early birthday present, take whatever money you get tonight for yourself. I don’t want any of it. And I promise I’ll do more digging on Jonathan. I’ll get you his location by next week. I promise.” Brian smiled, reaching for Evan’s hand. He let him take it. “Okay?”

“Okay.” Evan nodded.

“Good.” Brian reached down to a large rectangular box by his feet and handed it to Evan. “You’ll need this.” Evan took the lid off the box. Inside was a large rose, the thorns sticking into the soft paper it laid on. “They are expecting a flower delivery, a gift from me. I told them I’m trying to make peace. I figured I'd keep this flower delivery theme going, I'm enjoying it." Brian smiled, clearly proud of himself for coming up with the disturbing idea. "You can keep the rose when you’re done. I know you like flowers.”

“Not roses.” Evan breathed, putting the lid back on the box.

“Then burn it when you’re done with it.”

“I will.” The car came to a stop. Evan looked out the tinted window at the line of people out front, praying he wouldn’t recognize any of the faces. “Brian...What if there is someone here I know?”

“You can take care of it. I know you can, Evan. Now go on, my dangerous boy.” Taking a deep breath, he got out of the Cadillac. He flashed a smile at the bouncer as the Cadillac pulled away from the curb, driving down the street, leaving Evan behind.

“Are you with Brian?”

“I was told to deliver this,” Evan said innocently. The bouncer lifted the lid, then shrugged.

“Go ahead. You’ll find them in the VIP room upstairs.” The bouncer pulled open the door. Neon lights flashed. Music thudded through Evan’s chest. With his right hand, he reached for the surgical mask, pulling it up over his mouth and nose, lowering the black baseball cap over his eyes.

Through the crowd, Evan could see the stairs. He pushed through the surging crowd, hugging the black box to his chest. He stepped casually over the red rope and hurried up the stairs. A young woman with dark brown hair in a sparkling dress leaned against the wall.

“Do you know where the VIP room is?” Evan asked her.

“Down the hall on the right.” She said, glancing up from her phone to look at him. Her brow furrowed when she saw the black mask over his face.

“I got a cold,” Evan said, smiling under his mask. “Thank you.” He continued down the hall. A black door on the right greeted him. He knocked politely.

“What is it?” A voice called out over the music.

“I have a flower delivery from Brian,” Evan answered. The door opened. A tall man in a button up, the top few buttons undone, stood in the doorway.

“A peace offering eh? Come in.” Evan did what he was told. Inside, a group of five men sat around a table, playing cards and bills covering the table top. There was a mirror on the far wall by the bar that was lined with expensive bottles of liquor. “I was hesitant to agree to this. I heard Brian’s got an anger problem. One small thing and he loses it-” The man snapped. “Like that. Is that true?”

“I can’t say.” Evan lied.

“What did he say was on the table for this peace agreement?”

“He-He…” Evan blanked. Brian hadn’t told him anything that they had agreed on. “Well uh…” The man grabbed the box from his hands, setting it down on the table.

“Well?”

“All money has to go to him,” Evan said bluntly. The man turned back to him.

“Who the fuck do you think you and Brian think you are?” He reached for the mask on Evan’s face. Without thinking, Evan grabbed his wrist and twisted. The man screamed in pain. Evan felt the bone snap under his hands.

Another man got up, reaching for Evan who let go of the first man’s wrist to grab the baton in his jacket which he brought down on the second man’s wrist and kicked him hard in the ribs. He turned in time to slam the first man into another, and spun, his black jacket swirling around him as he slammed the baton into the ribs of a fourth.

Someone smashed a bottle over Evan’s head, strong alcohol spilling over his head and soaked into his clothing. He stumbled, the room spinning. He felt glass cut his ear and cheek. The fifth man hooked their arms around Evan’s arms, suddenly dragging him backwards. Someone punched his ribs hard, once, then twice, then three, then four times. He could taste blood.

For a moment, Evan was seventeen again. He lay on a cement floor, headlights blinding him as heavy kicks forced the air from his broken lungs.

Gasping for air, Evan threw himself forward, flipping the man that held his arms over his back. Evan picked up the baton that had fallen from his hands and smashed it into the man’s head. He ducked under the arm of another and slammed his foot into the knee of the second man which buckled under him. Evan brought the baton down on his head as he fell.

The third suddenly flipped the table, pinning Evan against the wall in the small room, the baton falling from his hand The flash of gunmetal caught Evan’s eye. Evan frantically pushed against the table. The man held the gun up. Evan could see down the barrel. He looked up at the man with wide eyes. His finger tightened on the trigger. Evan’s fingers curled around the gold blade in his pocket. It glinted in the light as it came out its case as Evan swung it at the man’s wrist. Blood splattered across the floor. He pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the wall just inches from Evan’s head.

Finally managing to shove the table away, Evan pulled himself over it in time to grab his baton and smash it into the kneecap of the third man. The man who had let him in was struggling to get up. Evan kicked him hard in the face as the fifth lunged at him. Evan turned.

The gold blade plunged into his neck.

Evan couldn’t help the scream of horror that tore itself from his throat as blood spilt over his hand. He quickly kicked the man back, pulling the blade from his throat.

“Fuck...Fuck…” Evan panicked, blood dripping to the floor.

“What do you want?” The third cried, gripping his bleeding wrist. Evan could barely focus. His eyes landed on the rose that had fallen to the floor and out of its box.

“Jonathan...What do you know about Jonathan?” Evan yelled frantically, holding the bloody golden blade in front of him.

“I don’t fucking know anything...He’s only contacted us once!” The man cried. “Please...don’t kill me.” He held his hands up in surrender. Evan felt like he was going to throw up. Panic seized his muscles. He never wanted this. He glanced up at the mirror, not recognizing the bloody boy in black with the surgical mask over his mouth and nose that stared back at him.

“Just...Just stay the fuck away from Brian. Don’t fuck with his business anymore. Please. Do what he tells you...” Evan said, putting the blade back into his pocket. He grabbed the rose and pulled open the door, fleeing from the bloody room.

 

The apartment was silent. The horizon was starting to light up as the sun began to rise. Soft blue light filled the simple bedroom. There was nothing personal about the room. A red jacket hung over one of the white bedposts. Thin white curtains billowed in the cool morning breeze coming through the window. The door to the bathroom was open. Evan stood in front of the mirror, the cuts on the side of his face caked with dried blood. He washed his hands in the sink and slowly stripped down, his muscles aching with every movement. Stepping into the shower, small shards of glass fell from his hair, the smell of the alcohol that had split into his hair filling his sinuses. Slowly, Evan sank to the floor of the shower, leaning against the glass wall. He couldn’t keep doing this. The image of the man impaled on the blade flashed through his mind. He pressed his palms against his eyes as if it would make the image go away. His ribs ached.

Was he still doing the right thing?

Getting rid of Jonathan would save them all.

It was what Jonathan deserved for killing Tyler.

But, did killing so many people for reasons that Evan himself wasn’t quite sure of really guarantee that would happen?

Was Evan really helping his family? Helping himself?

Would Tyler be proud of who he had become? Of who Brian had made him into?

Evan let out a sob and forced himself to stand up; he had to try to sleep. He washed his hair and scrubbed the dried blood off his body. When he was done, he stood under the hot water for just a moment longer before getting out. He wrapped a towel around himself and wiped some steam off the mirror. He applied an antiseptic to his cuts, thinking about how he would try to explain them to the guys.

Evan sighed, looking down at the rose he had left on the counter. He reached into a drawer in the counter, pulling out a lighter he had tossed in there one night after partying with Smitty and Daithi. Holding up the rose, he watched as the flame caught the petals. He watched the red flower burst into flame. Dropping it into the sink, he watched the rose burn.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to updating this fic more often now that Venefica is done! I'm so so excited about this fic. I haven't taken on something like what I have planned for Petals before and I'm excited for the challenge and for you guys to read it!! I hope you enjoy! Thank you so so much for your support!

The sound of birds chirping woke Evan. With a groan, he rolled over in his large bed, his dark, sleepy eyes landing on the open window and the ocean beyond the sandy beach. The memory of a slightly open gate and a sparkling blue pool surrounded by flowers flashed through Evan’s mind. He remembered the ripple of the water, remembered the loud gunshot that made his ears ring.

Pulling the blanket up over his head, he listened to the birds sing. Gulls called out over the waves. Sandpipers whistled. Swallows darted from rooftop to rooftop on the hunt for insects.

The memory faded, replaced with the sore, aching feeling that overwhelmed him. He lay there in silence, listening to the birds and the sounds of his friends downstairs talking and laughing. He heard the sliding door open downstairs and Brock’s voice as the group of them walked down the steps to the beach. Their voices faded as they got farther away down the beach. 

Bracing himself, Evan got out of bed. Mechanically, he pulled a bucket out from under his bed and silently made his way downstairs. He filled the bucket with ice then returned to his room, locking his bedroom door behind him. In the bathroom, he filled the tub with ice before turning on the tap, cold water filling the tub. He took off his pyjama pants and eased himself into the freezing water. His muscles tensed and rippled under his bruised skin. He let out a sharp breath, his fingers gripping the sides of the tub. 

“Do I have to?” Evan had asked when Brian told him to have an ice bath for the first time. 

“You’ll feel better.” Brian had said. Evan had bit his tongue and did what he was told, making his way down the hall of the large hotel room to the bathroom where a tub full of ice and cold water waited for him. He had screamed when he sat down in the overflowing tub, biting his knuckles till they bled to stop himself from screaming a second time. He cried, his hot tears spilling down his cheeks, dripping from his chin to the cold, icy water. 

Afterwards, Brian had wrapped Evan's bleeding hand with gauze and told him he was proud of him. 

Now it was routine. 

There were no more screams. 

No more tears. 

Evan leaned his head back against the side of the tub, his eyes on the ceiling. He took a deep breath and slid into the cold water, his black hair floating around his head; a dark halo. Running out of air, he pushed himself back up, freezing water dripping down his face, his black hair clinging to his face. He brushed it from his eyes and leaned his head back. Slowly, he raised his hands out of the water. His left hand gripped his right hand, his left thumb putting pressure down on the top of his hand. 

“Then they brought the hammer down on my hand…” Tyler had said, the warm light filling the motel room in San Diego turing his eyes the colour of the bright blue motel swimming pool. 

When he had had enough, Evan got out, draining the tub of its freezing water. Ice collected around the drain. His fingers trembled; his bottom lip wobbled. He wrapped a towel around himself, sitting on the side of the tub for a few moments. He glanced towards his bedroom window through the open door of his bathroom. He could just make out the shapes of his friends at the water’s edge, yelling at each other and diving beneath the waves. By the window was a guitar case, inside an expensive acoustic guitar that Brian had given him for his nineteenth birthday. Evan had told the guys that he had bought it himself and distracted them from any more questions by playing a song. Evan turned his head back to the mirror. Cuts covered the side of his face. His chest was bruised, purple, green and yellow hues splattered across his skin. The bruises on his neck weren’t as bad as they were the day before. The cut on his arm wasn’t as red. 

They would ask about the cuts on his face. He couldn't think of an excuse. 

Evan took a deep breath. 

He got up, opening his closet. He got dressed in a simple white t-shirt and black jeans, slipping his feet into his black slides. There would be sand on the floor when the others got back. 

Evan stepped into the hallway. He glanced into Smitty’s room whom he shared a wall with. His bed was unmade, the desk messy with new guns and their parts. There was a box wrapped in tape by the desk. It must have just arrived in the mail. 

Evan glanced into the room that Daithi and Brock shared. One half, Brock’s, was clean and neatly organized while the other side had guitar picks strewn across the floor among clothes both dirty and clean, books and earbuds tossed onto the bed. Leaning against the bed was his old guitar. Evan would play with Daithi, the two sitting on the steps of their patio in the golden hours of the evening, playing their guitars together till the sun went down. 

Marcel’s room faced the street. A beach towel was thrown over his chair. Like the other bedrooms, there were old movie posters and video game posters. There was a neat pile of laundry by the door and the bed had been haphazardly made. 

The room beside Marcel’s was Craig’s. Medical supplies covered the table he had by the window. On that table was a photo of Tyler. Evan stared at it from the doorway. Slowly, he took a deep breath and walked towards the stairs. 

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could see them returning from their swim. Evan pressed his hand against his cuts, feeling the scabs forming there. He didn’t have much time. He glanced around the large open living room and kitchen, trying to think of something that could cover them up, think of some kind of excuse. 

The glint of glass in the sunlight caught his eye. 

He turned his head. 

The glass coffee table. 

Evan glanced up at the door. They would see him any minute now. Evan took a deep breath as he stepped towards the coffee table. He peeled the scabs off his cuts, blood spilling down his face. 

He couldn’t answer their questions. 

They couldn’t find out. 

He threw himself face down onto the glass coffee table. 

 

People strolling up and down the beach went by. Children built sea castles and teenaged girls lounged in the sun, showing each other funny posts on their newsfeeds. Seagulls soared across the bright blue sky. 

Evan sat on the steps of the patio, a melting ice pack pressed against his forehead. He had changed his white shirt and replaced it with a thin black long sleeve shirt he normally wore under his heavy black and yellow motorcycle jacket. His white shirt was tossed into a laundry basket, splotches of blood staining the fabric. 

Inside, the TV was on a news channel, the reporter’s voice echoing through the living room. 

“Police are suspecting there is a serial killer in the area after a third victim was found this morning with similar wounds-“ 

Evan closed his eyes, pressing the ice pack harder against his forehead. 

They had found him on the floor, surrounded by glass. Dazed, he let Craig and Smitty pull him up, brushing glass off him. Craig had gotten him upstairs, and did his best to ignore Evan's whimpers as he cleaned the cuts. Craig’s eyes had drifted to the old cut on Evan’s arm but he said nothing. Smitty stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with worry. 

“Take it easy today. Lie down if you feel faint again.” Craig had said. Evan did he what he was told. 

“How are you feeling?” Evan looked up, snapped out of his thoughts. Smitty sat down beside him, his eyes squinting against the glare of the sun. 

“I’m okay,” Evan said quietly. He turned his head away from Smitty but he could still feel his eyes on him. Smitty reached his hand out to Evan but caught himself. He crossed his arms and looked in the other direction. 

“I worry about you,” Smitty said quietly. “I know you want to find Jonathan...I know you want to keep Tyler’s memory alive.” 

“Smitty...I’m not-“ 

“I get it. You’re not obsessed with Tyler.” He turned his head to meet Evan’s gaze. “Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid, okay? I don’t want to lose you. Let me handle the guns, okay?” 

“Okay.” Evan smiled. “I promise.” 

“Good.” Smitty smiled. The two stared at each other for another moment before looking away. “Lui texted Craig this morning.” 

“He did? Is he coming back?” Evan asked. 

“Yeah...He'll be here tomorrow morning. He said that he found out about a job and he wants to do it with us. We haven’t done a job in a long time and we’re all kind itching to get back out there, you know?” 

“Yeah.” Evan blinked. Cold water from the ice pack dripped from his fingers. 

“He’s on his way down from San Francisco. He wants to talk to us about it in person. I guess he’s moved on from Tyler…” Smitty sighed. The yellow flowers tattooed on his wrist caught Evan’s eye. He thought about the photo of the flower he had chosen saved on his phone. “Don’t feel pressured to do this job with us if we decide to do it. I know you don’t like guns. It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” Smitty smiled reassuringly. “I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

“I won’t get hurt.” 

“For me, just sit this one out, okay?” Smitty sighed. “You fainted onto a glass coffee table, Evan. Don’t tell me that you can do this.”  Evan looked down at the sandy step. He did what he was told and said nothing. Smitty’s hand grasped Evan’s free hand. Veins rippled under the bouquet of yellow flowers on his wrist. Evan turned his dark gaze to meet Smitty’s. They stared at each other, the warm sunlight washing over them. Water dripped from the melting ice pack. A laugh floated through the open patio door. A helicopter flew overhead. A tourist took a photo of the beach. Evan’s thumb gently caressed Smitty’s hand. Waves rolled onto the sandy beach only to retreat back. Evan couldn’t look away from Smitty’s soft gaze. He couldn’t remember anyone ever looking at him like this. The gaze told him to forget the bruises, forget the stress, the pain. It told him that everything is okay. 

“Evan.” The two finally looked away from each other, their attention now on Craig who stood by the open patio door. “Don’t stay out the hot sun for too long. You should get some rest inside.” Craig reminded him before stepping back inside. Smitty’s hand squeezed Evan’s hand. 

“You wanna go somewhere?” Smitty asked with a smile. Caught up in Smitty’s gaze, Evan nodded. 

 

The white Porsche sped down the highway, its milky white paint glimmering in the warm light. Evan held his hand out the window, feeling the wind flow between his spread fingers. Smitty would glance at him every so often, careful not to take his eyes off the road for too long. The sunlight reflected off the white and blue jacket he had thrown on before heading out with Smitty; they had snuck out behind Craig’s back knowing he would try to get Evan to stay. 

“Are you gonna tell me why you think you fainted or?” Smitty finally asked. 

“What?” 

“What's going on, Evan?” 

“Nothing. I’m just...I haven’t been feeling good lately. Maybe it's the stress with Jonathan and the vault…” Evan sighed. “I should go see a doctor.”

“You’re still classified as missing, Evan.” Smitty reminded him. “Sure your mom knows where you are but the police don’t. Craig’s good. He’ll take care of you like he always has.” Smitty smiled. 

“Right…” Evan nodded. Brian would have taken him to a doctor. The white Porsche took the next exit. Smitty tapped his fingers against the wheel in time to the music playing on the radio. Realizing where they were going, Evan’s lips spread into a smile. 

The white Porsche parked outside the large flower market. 

“I figured that our place needs more colour.” Smitty smiled, taking off his seatbelt. The two boys got out of the expensive car and made their way into the market. Evan walked down one of the aisles filled with lilacs, most of them white. From the next aisle, Smitty watched the younger boy through the brightly coloured flowers that hung from hanging pots slowly making his way past the flowers, occasionally stopping to touch the soft white petals and breath in the soft, sweet smell. Surrounded by flowers, Smitty noticed something lighter about Evan, as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could finally breathe. 

Evan turned the corner into the next aisle, brushing his hand gently over a bouquet of hyacinths. He turned as Smitty caught up to him, a bouquet of pink roses in his hands. “What about these ones? They aren’t red…” 

“I like them,” Evan said quietly. “I think we can bring roses back.” The image of the burning rose in his sink flashed through his mind. He looked away from the pink roses, looking back at the hyacinths and the lilacs, unable to hide the look of pain on his face. 

“Or maybe not. It’s fine. What about...What about these?” Smitty quickly set the roses down and returned with a bouquet of brightly coloured azaleas. Evan smiled. 

“I like those. We tried to grow them in my school’s garden.” Evan said quietly. He remembered the tall sunflowers that towered over him and the cherry tomatoes growings alongside carrots and potatoes. He remembered the sixth graders struggling to keep the wildflowers and other flowers they thought were pretty alive. He remembered helping them, carrying the heavy buckets of water for them and picking the dead leaves and fallen petals off. That garden was his safe haven.

Now, looking at the bouquet of buttercups on Smitty’s wrist, Evan imagined himself in a new garden. 

 

With bouquets wrapped in pink, blue and green paper and tied with a string in the backseat, the white Porsche drove down a busy, touristy street. Colourful windmills spun in the warm breeze. Children got their ice cream all over their faces. Local teenagers waited at bus stops, phones in hand. 

The two boys stopped for a late lunch at a bar where they sat on the patio under a dark green umbrella, watching the world pass. 

“Have you thought about what you want for your birthday yet?” Smitty asked. Evan shrugged, taking a sip of his soda. “Aw come on. If you could have anything, anything at all. What would it be?” 

“I don’t know...I mean, I already have a nice guitar. And we live in a great place. I have you guys. I have nice clothes. I don’t need anything else.” Evan shrugged.

“What about replacing that pig mask with something of your ow-“

“No.” Evan didn’t let Smitty finish his question. “You can’t replace that…”

“I didn’t mean replace it. You can still keep it I guess...But what about, when you’re ready to go out with us on a job...You’ll have your own mask? It’s just that...Tyler choose that pig mask for a reason.” 

“I know.” Evan sighed. Smitty reached across the table for Evan’s hand. 

“I like you for you, Evan. For your determination, passion and caring. I’ve never met anyone like you, Evan. You’re amazing.” Smitty smiled. “Don’t lose who you are for someone else.” Evan’s eyes watered. Before he could say anything, a waiter brought them their lunch, forcing Smitty to let go of Evan’s hand. 

 

Neon lights flashed through the club. The bass of the music was loud enough to be felt in the clubgoers chests. The bar was crowded, expensive drinks spilling over their cups. Among the crowd on the dance floor, Marcel and Smitty danced, their hands in the air. Watching from a large booth reserved for VIPs, Evan sat on a black leather couch under a large neon light in the shape of a rose, the red light turning his black hair a purplish colour. In his hand was a sugary drink, the strong alcohol blended with peach juice and ice. He watched the dancing crowd with a smile. The large neon rose above him glowed brightly. 

When he and Smitty had returned home, the others were itching to go out. Craig told them to go ahead; since Tyler had died he prefered to be alone. Evan had changed into a floral button up shirt and threw his silky black bomber jacket on top. His floral shoes with red bottoms matched his top. The group grabbed a cab near Venice beach and headed first to a bar nearby they found themselves at often. They bought shots for Evan who coughed when the tequila hit the back of his throat and watched with disgust as Daithi and Marcel did pickle shots, a combination of whiskey and pickle juice. 

“Fuck off!” Smitty yelled when they offered him one. They ignored the looks others in the bar gave them when they laughed or talked too loud. They gave their waitress a big tip on their way out. 

Now, Evan’s chest was warm and his head light. 

“You gonna join them?” Daithi asked when he finally returned from the bar with another beer; his voice straining to be heard over the loud music. Evan shrugged. 

“Go have fun.” Brock nudged him. Smiling, Evan finished his drink and hurried through the crowd towards Smitty who cheered when he saw him. Evan smiled as Smitty pulled him closer, not letting him get swept away in the crowd. They sang along with almost every song, jumping up and down in time with the music. Soon, Brock and Daithi joined them, the group of boys dancing wildly, too drunk to care. Neon lights flashed. The white light of a camera flash caught Evan’s eye. Before he could find the source, Smitty had grabbed him, his sweaty hands moving from his shoulders to his cheeks. 

“Evan…” Smitty called over the music. “I-I...I wanna...I wanna tell you something…” He slurred. 

“W-What?” Evan stared up at Smitty with wide eyes, the world spinning around him. Suddenly, sparkling confetti exploded through the club as the music got louder. Smitty’s words were lost to the music. 

 

Warm late morning sunlight spilt through the large window. The soft white curtains had been closed, the fabric rippling with the warm breeze that came off the ocean. Placed neatly on the floor where expensive red bottomed dress shoes, a black bomber jacket hung over the same bedpost as the red and white leather jacket. The soft sound of voices made their way up the stairs and slipped under the boy’s door. The coffee maker beeped. Someone laughed. 

Evan’s dark eyes slowly fluttered open. He groaned, slowly rolling over to look at the clock on his bedside table. It read 11:37 am. He sighed, falling back onto the pillow. His head hurt. He pulled the blanket over his head, the warm darkness surrounding him. He couldn’t remember most of the night, couldn’t remember how he got home and into bed. 

He vaguely remembered falling asleep on Smitty’s shoulder in the back of a cab as they were heading home in the early hours of the morning, neon lights reflecting off the windows and their flushed faces. He remembered Smitty helping him untie his shoes and get his jacket off, remembered him tucking him into his bed. 

“Don’t...Don’t leave me…” Evan had slurred. Smitty nodded. 

“I won’t.” Smitty sat beside Evan on his bed, gently rubbing his back until he had fallen into a deep sleep.

The sound of voices pulled Evan out of his drunken memories. He threw the blankets off and got up. He still wore his clothes from the night before. He unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it to the floor by the laundry hamper and slid off his jeans. Muscles under bruised skin rippled as he pulled on a yellow hoodie and comfy black pants. His phone went off, the screen lit up. Evan picked his phone up from where he had left it on the bedside table. It was a text from Brian.

“Tomorrow is your big day. Excited to be 20? Come see me tomorrow night. I got a present for you,” Evan read. He sighed and responded with an ‘okay’. A moment later, Brian sent him an emoji of a smiley face. 

Slipping his feet into a pair of slides, Evan stuffed his phone into his hoodie’s pocket and headed for the door. 

“This was supposed to be someone else’s job but it was given to Brian. We all know that’s bullshit though.” A familiar voice said. Evan peered over the rail, seeing the guys sitting on the couches, their attention on Lui who stood by the TV. There was still glass embedded in the rug. “The place is fenced off and with a series of security checkpoints before we can get to the helicopter so we need someone who is good at breaking into places like this and unfortunately we don’t…” Lui trailed off when he saw Evan who had silently made his way down the stairs and came to a stop behind Smitty who sat on the couch with Brock and Craig. They all turned to look back at him. Evan stared at them, a twinge of bitter anger budding in his chest. 

“Morning Evan. How are you feeling?” Craig asked. Evan stared at Lui. 

“You started talking about the job without me?” Was all Evan could say. 

“Well you slept in and we figured-”

“I get it.” Evan’s tone was sharper than he meant it to be. “Don’t mind me. Continue.” Smitty reached for Evan’s hand but he stepped away before Smitty could touch him. He headed into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t see their awkward glances. 

“You tell him, Craig. I love him, but when it comes to this stuff he’s kinda usele-” Brock whispered.

“Later. Keep going, Lui.” Craig said before Brock could finish his sentence. Evan pulled his hood up, not wanting them to see the hurt on his face. “Well...Uh...As I was saying, none of us are good at breaking in and cracking codes and such, but I have a contact that Tyler had that could possibly help us. Craig, you’ll be talking with her later today right?” 

“Yes.” 

“Great. Honestly, once we are in, it should be pretty straightforward right to the helicopter and we take off it, the drugs and the cash. It’s a big reward. So far it seems like there isn’t a lot of security around it which seems odd for Brian, you would think he’d have kept this hush hush and locked up. I think though...It’s because of his new hitman.” 

“Oh fuck, I’ve heard of this guy.” Daithi groaned. “Dude’s a beast apparently.” 

“Who is this?” Smitty asked. Evan’s grip tightened on his coffee cup. Under his yellow hood, he closed his eyes, bracing for what Lui was about to say. Opening his eyes, his gaze landed on the kitchen knives. Would they want him dead if they found out? A violent wave of nausea came over him, making him grip the side of the counter with his free hand. 

“No one knows his name. He’s got this black and yellow motorcycle with the matching gear and he’s been taking out guys all over the city for just over a year now. At first, I thought he was just a bounty hunter like Smitty and I were, but this guy is hitting people specifically targeted by Brian. You fuck with Brian and this guy will find you. It’s possible that he’ll be there.” Lui explained. Evan suddenly set his coffee cup down on the counter, his chest tight. His stomach rolled violently. He closed his eyes, wincing. 

“Evan? You okay?” Smitty asked. 

“Yeah...My head hurts, sorry. I’m gonna go lie down…” Evan said quietly. 

“Okay.” Smitty gave him a reassuring smile. Evan forced a smile in return and hurried up the stairs back to the safety of his room. He had barely closed the door to his bedroom and got into his bathroom when he began to throw up. 

“F-Fuck…” Hot tears spilt down his face, his hands gripping the side of the toilet. When he was done, he fell back against the counter, sweat dripping down his face, spit and bile on his lips.

They knew. How long would it take them to connect the dots? Evan’s stomach rolled again. He winced in pain, letting out a silent sob. When he opened his eyes, a flash of red caught his eye.

On the cold tiled floor was a burnt rose petal. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited about this chapter! What happens at the end is something I've never written before so please bear with me! (Do remember that the rating for this is M). Also, the soundtrack for Petals is up! You can find it here: open.spotify.com/user/aqueeenofokay/playlist/60mkGet8jqnVP1bTxtqBVj  
> You can find the tracklist for it here:   
> ghosstkid.tumblr.com/post/172153948919/here-is-the-soundtrack-for-petals-you-can-find 
> 
> Thank you so much for the support! I hope you enjoy the chapter!!

Seagulls flew through the warm air. Sandpipers darted along the beach. A warm breeze came through the window, billowing the curtains of the dark bedroom. The sound of a phone vibrating broke the gentle silence. A pale hand reached out from under the heavy blanket to the pillow where the phone lay. The phone screen lit up the darkness under the blanket. Evan stared at the caller ID, his eyes red from crying. After a moment, he answered the phone, his voice barely a whisper. 

“B-Brian…” 

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Brian demanded. Evan had texted Brian in a panic, telling him that they knew about the new hitman and that he feared they would figure out it was him. He told Brian he that he had been sick, told him how terrified he is. 

“No…” Evan’s voice broke. “I’m so scared.” He closed his eyes tightly, tears falling down his cheeks. “They’re gonna find out...They’re gonna kill me, Brian.” 

“No one’s going to hurt you, Evan. I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Brian said, his tone soft. “It’s going to be okay. To them, you aren’t associated with me.” 

“I-I know…” 

“Just act normal. It's going to be okay, Evan. Just do as you’re told, and it’ll all be okay. How did you find out about this?” 

“L-Lui knew...He told the group.” 

“I see.” Evan heard Brian move the phone away to whisper something to someone. “Did anyone else say they knew about my hitman before Lui told them?” 

“D-Daithi did...I don’t know how...I guess...I guess it’s just people talking. I should be more careful, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Brian…I’m so scared I’m going to slip up and let you down...I don’t want to let anyone down...” 

“It’s okay, Evan. You aren’t going to let anyone down. Think about all the training you’ve done leading up this point. You know how to fight, how to get what you want. You won’t slip up. You listen, that's good. You do what you're told. You’ll survive.” Brian said, his tone slowly becoming sharper. Evan heard him whisper something to someone. Brian’s tone was softer when he started talking again. “I knew there would be talk. Someone as dangerous as you will make people talk.” Evan nodded; he wanted that to be true, he wanted to be as a dangerous as Brian made him out to be. He could barely breathe under the blanket but as childish as it was, he didn’t want to lift it and look out, fearing that someone would be standing there with a gun. He told himself that no one in this house would shoot him. “Evan. Can you be brave for me? You have to keep acting like everything is normal, like what they think normal is. So long as you do that, nothing bad will happen. Can you do that for me, Evan?” 

“Y-Yeah…” 

“Good. Get your rest. I’ll see you tomorrow...Let me be the first to say happy birthday.” Brian said. Evan could hear the smile in Brian’s tone. Evan found himself smiling too. 

“Thank you...Bye.” He hung up, dropping the phone to the mattress. Though some of his anxiety was gone, the hard rock in his chest refused to go away. More tears fell to his pillow. He wanted Smitty, wanted him to hug him tightly. Smitty wouldn’t abandon him if he find out, would he?

 

“Okay uh...Would you...make out with Daithi for a hundred bucks?” 

“What? Um...I don’t know.” Evan laughed at the question. "Probably not." Smitty snorted, smoke from his joint billowing around him. They walked past tourists deciding on gifts in souvenir shops and teenagers laughing over silly sunglasses they were trying on. At the end of the street was a beach. 

Smitty had knocked on Evan’s door when Lui was done briefing them. Evan had reluctantly pulled himself out of his bed and opened the door, rubbing his eyes. 

“Are you okay?” Smitty had asked. Evan had nodded. Smitty asked Evan if he wanted to go for lunch. At first, Evan had shaken his head, but then he remembered what Brian had said about pretending that everything was normal so he did what he was told. They went out for lunch, both avoiding the topic of the heist. Afterwards, they went for a walk so Smitty could smoke. He had offered it to Evan who had shaken his head.

“Your turn,” Evan said now. His chest felt lighter as though he could finally breathe for the first time that morning. 

“Dare.” Smitty smiled, taking a drag from his joint. Smoke billowed out of his mouth and nostrils. Evan looked around the street, thinking. “Make it good.” He added, giggling. Evan’s eyes landed on an expensive black car parked out front a bar. 

“I dare you to steal that car,” Evan said, smiling. Smitty’s eyes widened as he coughed. 

“The Lamborghini? Are you serious?” Smitty laughed. Evan nodded. “Evan...I-I don’t know.” 

“What? Are you scared?” Evan smiled. 

“No...That’s just a bit dangerous. I mean, I don’t want us to get arrested.” 

“We won’t. Come on, I dare you.”

“I’m gonna get you back so hard,” Smitty said as he put out his joint. Evan smiled, following him down the sidewalk towards the car. “Act normal. Tell me about your day.” 

“It’s been...It’s been okay.” 

“Okay?” 

“I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t hear your guys talking about how useless I am.” Evan’s smile suddenly disappeared as the impulsive words slipped out of his mouth. His chest felt tight again, the air crushed from his bruised lungs. Tears welled up in his eyes. Smitty looked taken aback for a second. His shoulders fell as they came to a stop by the expensive car. "Sorry..."

“Evan...It’s not...It’s...Okay, it is like that. You can’t shoot. You can’t fight. You’re just a kid. Maybe it’s because Tyler never wanted to involve you in this shit...But I don’t want you involved in the job. I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

“I’m going to be twenty tomorrow, Smitty. I’m not a kid. Teach me those things. I’m gonna have to know something for when I find Jonathan.” Evan said. The memory of his fight with the gang members the other night flashed through his mind. He curled his hands into fists. 

“Evan...You still wouldn’t be ready for this job.” Smitty sighed. “I’m sorry. Craig’s gonna tell you the same thing.” Evan looked away from Smitty, his eyes on the beach. “Ev…” 

“Steal the fucking car, Smitty.” Evan snapped, tears beginning to spill down his face for the second time that day. Smitty stared at the younger boy, taken aback. Evan couldn’t help the anger that had bubbled up in his chest. He was angry at Lui for scaring him, angry at Smitty for trying to baby him, angry at Brian for making him pretend that he was the weak boy everyone else thought he was. 

Arms suddenly wrapped around Evan, his face pressed against Smitty’s pink hoodie. For a moment, Evan couldn’t move, the feeling of Smitty’s cheek pressed against the top of his head sending shocks through him. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Smitty, closing his eyes. 

“You aren’t useless,” Smitty whispered. After a moment, Smitty broke away from the hug. Evan’s dark eyes stared up at him. Smitty’s hands remained on Evan’s shoulder’s. Evan found his finger’s pulling at Smitty’s hoodie as if to pull him back. Butterflies flew in his stomach. Smitty turned away, dropping his hands from Evan’s shoulders. Evan reluctantly let go of Smitty. 

“What are you doing?” Evan asked as Smitty took a step towards the car. 

“I thought you dared me to steal it.” Smitty smiled, pulling at the driver’s door handle. The alarm went off. 

“Hey!” A man from down the street suddenly yelled. He began to run towards them. Smitty laughed nervously, grabbing Evan’s hand as he turned away from the car, the two sprinting down the street towards the beach. “Get back here you fucks!” The man yelled after them. Evan smiled brightly, his grip tightening on Smitty’s hand as they ran. 

 

“Where the hell have you been? I thought you were resting!” Craig’s angry voice filled the apartment as Evan and Smitty returned, their hands sweaty, the smell of marijuana clinging to their clothes. Evan flinched away from Craig as he marched towards the two youngest members of the family. “I told you to rest two days in a row and what do you do two days in a row? Sneak out behind my back!” Craig yelled as he came to a stop in front of Evan. Evan’s gaze lowered to the floor. “Just for once, do what you’re told, Evan!” 

“Do what you’re told!” Brian had snarled.

“I’m sorry Craig.” Evan couldn’t lift his gaze. “I won’t do it again.” Smitty’s brow furrowed with worry as he watched Evan who seemed to cave in on himself. His back became straighter, his hands at his side like a soldier being yelled at by his drill master. 

“You better not! I don’t want you getting sicker.” 

“Craig it was my idea yesterday and today. Keeping Evan in the house isn’t going to do him any good. He’s stressed out!” Smitty shot back at Craig. “Leave him alone.” 

“Guys…” Evan said quietly. Craig glanced down at him, letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay...Smitty, I think Lui needs your help this afternoon.” Craig said sharply. Smitty didn’t move. “Now, please.” Smitty glanced at Evan, giving him a small smile before letting go of his hand. He pushed past Craig on his way to the kitchen where Lui and Daithi were watching. “Evan, I was wondering if you could help me this afternoon,” Craig said softly. Evan lifted his gaze, looking up at Craig. “We’re going to meet someone for the heist and you’re pretty good with talking so I was wondering if you could come with me.” 

“Sure,” Evan said, doing as he told. Craig smiled. 

“Great. Just give me a minute to get my stuff.” Craig left Evan by the door. Evan found himself staring at Smitty who glanced back at him, his pink lips turning up into a smile when he met his gaze. Smitty didn’t break away from Evan’s gaze until Craig returned a moment later, leading Evan back outside to the red Ferrari in the driveway. 

“Who are we meeting?” Evan asked as Craig unlocked the car. 

“Her name is Kelly. She was close with Tyler before he...He passed.” Craig said as they got into the car. Evan felt a stone of sadness form in his throat at the mention of Tyler. He could understand why Craig didn’t want to go alone to this meeting. “Her and her gang, they do a lot of robberies, breaking into private vaults, stealing jewels, clothing, you name it. If it has worth, they’ve stolen it.” Craig explained. 

“Oh…” Evan breathed, glancing out the window as Craig started the car and backed out of the driveway. He wondered why he’d never heard of them before, why Brian had never mentioned Kelly. 

Evan imagined Brian as a ringmaster, he knew everything and everyone worth mentioning in Los Angeles and he had a part in all of it. Everyone in the circus listens to the ringmaster. 

“She’s nice,” Craig said, his eyes on the road. “She was really nice to Tyler...I guess...He needed her.” His eyes were watering under his glasses. 

“Craig?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Nevermind…” Silence filled the car. The engine rumbled as the car drove down the busy streets, heading for the highway. Palm trees passed the car. Heatwaves rolled over the pavement. Flowers in colourful pots out front stores and restaurant patios danced in the warm, summer breeze. 

“So what's with you and Smitty lately?” Craig suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Evan felt his cheeks warm as they turned red. 

“What do you mean? What about us?” 

“You two have been inseparable lately. It's the first time I’ve seen you without him.” Craig smiled. “It's okay.”  Evan kept his eyes on the window, not wanting Craig to see the blush on his cheeks. “Do...Do you like him?” 

“As a friend?” Evan asked quietly. “Or…” Craig smiled. 

“It’s whatever you want it to be. It’s okay, Evan. Nothing to be embarrassed about.” 

“I-I...I’m not…” Evan fidgeted with his jacket sleeve. He never had a crush on anyone in high school, never thought much about the girl in his math class who would smile at him whenever he caught her gaze, never stayed up late thinking about anyone; until recently. He would find himself looking at the wall he shared with Smitty, imaging the older boy on the other side looking back. Every time Smitty touched him, electric shocks would travel through him, knocking the air from his lungs harder than the punches he endured. 

“It’s okay,” Craig said again, glancing at Evan with a smile. “If you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here.” Evan had to resist the tears that welled up in his eyes. He wanted to tell Craig everything, wanted him to tell him that it’s all okay, that he had done nothing wrong but a part of him told him that he had done a horrible thing and it wasn’t okay. He turned his gaze back to the window as Craig stepped on the gas, the red car speeding onto the highway. 

Brain said it’s okay. 

Evan rolled down his window, hanging his hand out the window. The wind played with his black hair. After a few more minutes of silence, Craig turned off the highway. The mountains rose towards the sky, the Hollywood sign standing proudly. The red Ferrari pulled into a parking lot out front a chic looking bistro and parked beside a red convertible. Evan froze when he saw it, recognizing it. He remembered watching blood splatter across its side and wheel through the visor of his motorcycle helmet a few nights ago. “Coming?” Craig was already out of the car, his voice snapping Evan out of his thoughts. He nodded, scrambling to get out of the car. He followed Craig inside, the two walking past tables covered with white tablecloths, men in business suits and couples in expensive clothing out for a late lunch sitting around them. In the corner, in a booth were three young women. One of them, a brunette, turned her gaze to follow her friend’s stares to Evan and Craig. 

“Kelly. It’s nice to see you again.” Craig said they approached the booth. Evan found himself standing behind Craig, suddenly shy. 

“Nice jacket.” A familiar voice said. Sitting in the middle of the circular booth was a young woman with silvery blonde hair. Evan had seen her before, just two days ago, sitting out front a fast food restaurant. 

“T-Thanks…” Evan said quietly. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Evan. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Kelly said with a gentle smile. 

“Did Tyler tell you about him?” Craig asked as he sat down beside the third woman, a dark brunette with sparkling cheeks and eyelids. She smiled at Evan as he sat down awkwardly beside the other brunette. 

“He did.” Kelly’s smile was gone. She took a breath, turning her attention back to Evan. “This is Jaclyn and Chrissy.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Evan said politely. 

“We’ve heard you got a job you want us to help you out with?” Chrissy asked Craig who nodded. 

“I guess we’re getting right to it then...Yes. Lui heard about it. It could be pretty dangerous, it’s one of Brian’s jobs. We’re going to take it from him. Apparently, he took it from someone else, sent his hitman after them and they handed it over.” Craig explained. “The place is pretty complicated to get into so that is where you would come in. You’d get us through the warehouse to the helicopter where the money and the drugs will be. Of course, you will get a share of the money.” 

“I suppose you don’t have all of the details on security yet?” Kelly asked. Craig shook his head. “What about this hitman? Will he be there?” 

“No idea.” 

“We almost had a run in with him the other night,” Jaclyn said. Evan stared at the white tablecloth. He moved his hands off the table, folding them in his lap, praying they wouldn’t see his hands shaking with fear. He looked up to see Kelly’s blue gaze on him. He held it till she looked away a moment later. Only then did Evan look back down, his chest tightening. 

“If you look away, they’ll know how scared you are.” Brian had said. “Never look away.” 

“What happened?” Craig asked. Jaclyn glanced up at Kelly who shrugged. 

“You wanna tell them?” Kelly asked. 

“Sure.”

 

_ Music filled the air. The large house in the Hollywood hills glowed and sparkled. The city below glimmered brightly in the night. Girls danced around the pool, their short dresses and expensive red bottom shoes glittering. The bar was just as crowded, ice cubes clinking in crystal glasses, little pink umbrellas placed atop margaritas. In the living room, each piece of furniture costing more than a month’s rent, were more people in designer dresses and suits, lines of cocaine and a pill bottle on the glass coffee table.  _

_ A pair of red bottom Louboutins clicked on the floor as the young brunette woman walked past an older man with a girl sitting on his lap. Jaclyn took a champagne glass of a trey held by a waiter, making her way towards Kelly and Simone who stood by the window, their tight dresses sparkling in the light. “Him...He owns this place.” Jaclyn said as she reached them,  turning over her shoulder to look at the older man sitting in one of the white leather chairs. “His vault is upstairs. Apparently, he’s got a stash under his bed too.” Down the hall was the front door. A man in black walked past the girls, heading towards the door. Jaclyn watched him open it and seem to freeze.  _

_ “They always do.” Kelly smiled, taking a sip of her drink. “We’ll wait until he leaves the living room. He won’t sit there forever.”  _

_ “What if he goes upstairs?” Jaclyn whispered.  _

_ “Chrissy will get him.” Simone giggled. They glanced towards the bar where Chrissy and Sami looked back at them, waiting patiently for Kelly’s signal. Kelly’s phone went off. She pulled it out of her little clutch bag, glancing at the text.  _

_ “Lauren said that she just heard over the scanner that police are looking for some guy on a motorcycle that speeding up the hill.”  _

_ “You think it's Brian’s guy?” Jaclyn asked, her brow furrowing with worry. Kelly shrugged. “I hope not. I heard that he stomped a man’s head in while in an elevator and left the body there for other people in the apartment to find.”  _

_ “I heard that he hates guns. He’ll kill you with his hands before he has to use a gun.” Simone whispered.  _

_ “That’s enough stories about the Bogeyman,” Kelly said sharply. “If it is the bogeyman, he’s not here for us. He’s here for him.” Kelly whispered, her eyes on the man in the suit. “Which is good for us.”  The man in black closed the front door and hurried past the three girls towards the older man. They watched him whisper something in his ear. “Finish your drinks,” Kelly said. Jaclyn didn’t have to be told twice. The older man got up and started towards the door.  He and his bodyguard walked past the girls, Kelly’s sharp gaze on the older man. Kelly motioned to Chrissy and Sami who set their glasses down. The older man stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Chrissy and Sami were making their way across the large living room towards the three other girls. Jaclyn watched the bodyguard and the front door nervously.  _

_ What if it was the Bogeyman?  _

_ Suddenly, the bodyguard opened the door, reaching for his gun. Blood suddenly exploded from the man’s skull and splattered on to the cream coloured walls. Jaclyn couldn’t stop her scream. “Fuck! Chrissy! Sami!” Kelly yelled. Simone grabbed Jaclyn’s hand, pulling her along as they headed for the stairs. Other partygoers were starting towards the door to see what the commotion was about. Upstairs, the girls split up quickly in search of the man’s bedroom. They grabbed bags which they stuffed jewels, Rolexes and clothing into.  _

_ “In here!” Sami yelled. They caught up with her at the end of the hall. She had found the vault in the closet. Jaclyn found herself walking towards the window that faced the driveway. She ducked when she saw someone walking down the driveway. She watched him pick up his helmet and run a hand through his black hair before putting the helmet on.  _

_ “Jaclyn! Come on!”  _

_ “Sorry, coming!” She turned away from the window, hurrying to help the girls. A camera flash lit up the driveway.  _

_ They were able to sneak out amidst the chaos and got to their cars; there was blood and a body leaning against Kelly’s red convertible. _

 

Evan’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He didn’t have to imagine himself in this story for he was in it. 

He’s the bogeyman. 

“You didn’t see his face?” Craig asked Jaclyn who shook her head. 

“Nope. Kinda glad I didn’t. Someone capable of being that ruthless...I wouldn’t want to look them in the eyes.” She said after a moment. Evan kept his gaze on the table. He didn’t notice Kelly watching him. 

“I want to know a bit more about what we’re up against before completely agreeing to this, Craig,” Kelly said, taking her gaze off Evan. “Once I have that information, we’re in...But if any of my girls get hurt, you’re in trouble.” 

 

The moonlight reflected off the gentle waves that rolled onto the shore. A few stars were able to shine through the light pollution and dance in the night sky. Evan sat on one of the lounge chairs on the patio. The house was dark. Craig had gone out for a drive alone and Marcel, Daithi, Brock and Lui had gone out to the club. They had invited Evan who shook his head. He wasn’t sure if Smitty had gone with them. A part of him hoped he did. 

Looking up at the night sky, Evan let out a sigh. He had been crying. He glanced at his phone; 12:01 am. 

“Happy birthday to me…” Evan whispered, his voice breaking. “Happy birthday dear Evan…” Another sob rattled his shoulders. If only Tyler were still here. He wouldn’t let Evan cry alone like this. Evan’s left hand pressed down on his right, more tears falling from his eyes. 

“Ev?” He jumped, turning around to look at Smitty who stood by the sliding glass door. There was a large box wrapped in colourful, floral wrapping paper in his hands. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah...Yeah…” Evan wiped at his eyes with his sleeves. “I’m okay.” Smitty sat down on the lounge chair beside him, the moonlight giving him a pale glow. Evan couldn’t take his gaze off him. 

“Why are you crying?” 

“I’m..I’m...It’s just...I don’t know. It’s a lot of things.” Evan sighed. 

“Am I one of those things?” 

“No. No of course not.” Evan said, reaching for Smitty’s hand. “You could never make me cry.” Smitty smiled, holding Evan’s hand tightly. 

“Here. Maybe this will cheer you up.” He pushed the box towards Evan. “Go on, open it. Let me be the first to wish you happy birthday.” Smitty smiled. Evan said nothing as Smitty pushed the box into his hands. 

“T-Thank you.” Evan breathed. He pulled the wrapping paper off. Inside was a white box. He pulled the tap off and took off the lid. Evan froze. “What...What is this, Smitty?” 

“It’s a mask. For you. For when you are ready to do a job with us.” Smitty smiled brightly. Evan stared at the yellow eyes that stared up at him. “You got such big eyes...I saw it and thought of you.” Smitty added when Evan said nothing. “Do...Do you want to try it on? At least take it out of the box or something. It’s really detailed and...And…” Smitty trailed off. “This was dumb, I’m sorry. I can get you something else. I’m sorry.” 

“No,” Evan said. “Don’t apologize, please. I like it.” 

“Don’t humour me.” 

“I’m not.” Evan reached into the box, pulling out the mask. It was the face of an owl with large yellow eyes and golden feathers. He smiled, pulling it over his head. He liked it a lot more than his surgical masks and helmet. He could see Smitty through the thin mesh that was in the eyes, could see him smile, could see him move closer. “Thank you, Smitty,” Evan said. Smitty pushed the box out of his way as he got closer to Evan. He felt Smitty's hands on his shoulders. Evan’s heart skipped, his breath caught in his throat. Evan reached for the bottom of the mask to pull it off. “Smitty-” Suddenly, Smitty’s lips were on Evan’s, his warm breath caressing Evan’s cheeks. Evan’s eyes went wide. Smitty’s hands moved to cup Evan’s face. Evan’s dark eyes slowly closed as he melted into the kiss, his arms wrapping around Smitty. The owl mask fell from his head, landing on the wooden patio floor. It was Smitty who broke away first, both of them breathless. Smitty leaned his forehead against Evan’s. Evan slowly opened his eyes, meeting Smitty’s adoring gaze. “S-Smitty…” Evan breathed. 

“Is...Is that...Are you okay?” Smitty whispered. Evan nodded. He found himself biting his bottom lip as he looked up at Smitty. 

“I just...I’ve never been kissed before…”

“You haven’t?” 

“Never…” 

“Do...Do you want to kiss again?” Smitty asked shyly. Evan nodded, pulling Smitty into a kiss. He fell back against the lounge chair, pulling Smitty on top of him. He tasted like spiked lemonade. Evan could focus on nothing but the feeling of Smitty’s lips against his and his hands holding his face. He could barely breathe, he felt like he was floating. “Truth or dare?” Smitty whispered as he broke away, his lips brushing against Evan’s. 

“Truth…” Evan breathed. 

“Do you want to keep going?” Smitty asked. Evan bit his lip. He breathed heavily. For a moment, the thought of Smitty seeing all of his cuts, bruises and scars scared him. Brian would tell him to say no. 

“Yes,” Evan said, his hands making their way up Smitty’s chest to his neck. He looked up at Smitty, a smile pulling at his wet lips. 

He wanted him. 

He pulled Smitty into another kiss, his eyes closing tightly. He wrapped his arms around Smitty's neck as he suddenly pulled Evan onto his lap. 

“Hold on,” Smitty said as he broke away from the kiss. With Evan’s legs wrapped around his waist, Smitty carried him inside. Evan pressed his face against Smitty’s neck, breathing in his cologne. He managed to carry Evan upstairs, making him scream and hold onto him tighter when he pretended that he was falling. “Your room or mine?” Smitty asked with a breathless smile.

“Yours…” Evan said against Smitty’s neck. Smitty pushed open his door and dropped Evan down onto his bed, kicking the door shut behind him. Before Evan could sit up, Smitty was on top of him again, pressing hot kisses to his throat. Evan gasped, his eyes closing as he laid back on the bed. 

“If you want to stop at any time...Tell me.” Smitty pressed a soft kiss to Evan’s neck with every word. He nodded, his hands sneaking towards the hem of Smitty’s shirt. He pulled at it, feeling Smitty smile against his skin. Smitty sat up, pulling his shirt off and dropped it to the messy floor. Evan ran his hands over his chest before pulling him back down, kissing him. He felt Smitty’s tongue sneak between his lips. It made Evan laugh, breaking away from the kiss. 

“That feels weird.” Evan laughed. Smitty stared down at him, drinking in the smile on Evan’s face and his wide, bright eyes. He smiled as Evan kissed him again, managing to roll on top of him. He grinded against Smitty whose hands slipped under Evan’s shirt to hold onto his waist. His nails started to dig into Evan's hips as he grinded against him. 

“Fuck…” Smitty moaned. He sat up, Evan’s legs wrapping around his waist as Smitty began to pull Evan’s shirt off. Evan tensed, trying to hide the worst of his injuries. “Evan? Is all of this from when you fainted?” Smitty’s brow furrowed. 

“Not...Not all of it.” Evan whispered. Smitty lifted Evan’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze.

“Did someone hurt you?” 

“It was...It was just some guys at the beach a few days ago...They wanted to take my money.” Evan lied. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Smitty looked sad. He pressed a kiss against a bruise on Evan’s collarbone. Evan felt like he was melting under Smitty’s touch, his eyes closing as Smitty trailed kisses over his collarbone. Smitty rolled over, laying Evan back down on the bed. “Do you still want to keep going?” Smitty asked. 

“Yes…” Evan nodded. Smitty slowly placed a trail of kisses down Evan’s chest. His breath quickened. He watched as Smitty unbuttoned his jeans that had gotten tighter, pulling them off. He let out a gasp as Smitty pressed kisses to the inside of his thighs, his hands gripping the blankets. It wasn’t long before his boxers joined his jeans on Smitty’s floor. Evan moaned, his hand reached down to run a hand through Smitty’s hair. His back arched, his eyes closing tightly.  “Oh...God...Fuck, Smitty….” 

 

Outside the beach apartment, the waves continued to roll onto the moonlight beach. On the patio, the owl mask lay among bright, floral wrapping paper. 

On the highway, a red Ferrari passed the other late night driver’s, the engine roaring as it got faster and faster. 

Standing on his balcony overlooking the city, Brian took a sip from his whiskey. Evan’s phone call that morning had shaken him. He turned, the gun in his left hand glinting in the light. 

“Please...There won’t be any more talk about your hitman. I shouldn’t have told Lui, I’m sorry...I didn’t tell him his name! Please...Plea-” The gunshot echoed through the hotel room. Red flowers on the balcony danced in the wind. Anthony lifted his gaze from the body bleeding out onto the rug to Brian. 

“Get this cleaned up.” Brian spat. Anthony stared at Brian for a few moments before leaving the room to get Ryan to help him clean up the bloody mess. “Bogeyman…” Brian said to himself, his tone filled with anger. “Not my Evan.” 

In a club in Beverly Hills, a group of boys danced, careless and free. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the support on this fic!!! It means a lot!!! I will warn you now that after this chapter things are going to start getting a little bit more disturbing/bloody. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

Soft morning light came through the window, illuminating the soft face of the boy that slept peacefully under fluffy white blankets, his black hair a mess. On the bedside table was a large vase filled with brightly coloured flowers. By the vase a little card waiting to be opened and read. The smell of pancakes and coffee floated up the stairs and slipped under the bedroom door. A child’s laugh from the beach found its way through the open window. A tourist on the beach took a photo of the beach and the large houses that lined the sand before slowly lowering the camera, his gaze on a group of boys standing on the patio of one of the apartments. The wind played with the palm trees.

Evan’s dark eyes slowly flickered open. He smiled, his eyes closing as he stretched. The smell of Smitty’s cologne was on the blankets. He didn’t want to get out of Smitty’s bed, didn’t want this moment to end. Slowly, he rolled over, his eyes landing on the vase of flowers that Smitty had left for him, a small card resting against the vase. Evan smiled. He reached for the card, opening it. Smitty’s handwriting sprawled across the inside of the card. Evan’s chest felt warm. His eyes watered. No one had ever said anything like this to him before.  He closed the card, pressing it against his chest. He hoped that Smitty would come back to bed but he had a feeling that he wouldn’t let Evan stay in bed all day; at least today he wouldn’t.

With a sigh, Evan forced himself to sit up. He pulled his jeans back on and slipped out of Smitty’s room and into his own room. He knelt down by his bed, reaching for the box he kept under there by the ice bucket. He lifted the lid, placing the love note from Smitty inside beside his collection of knives he had taken off people who tried to kill him, and a sketch of a flower from his sketchbook that lay under it.

The drawing had been in his hands when he had walked down the street to a tattoo parlour but he had gotten too nervous by the time he got to the door, his head filled with reasons as to why he shouldn’t get it. He ended up walking back home, the sketch folded up and stuffed into his pocket.

Evan placed the lid back on his box of treasures, the sketchbook and his knife collection only a few of them. He pushed the box back under his bed and got up. His muscles felt sore but it didn’t feel painful. It felt good.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Evan called out. The door opened then closed quietly. He heard footsteps and felt arms sneak around his chest, holding him tightly. Smitty pressed a kiss to Evan’s bare shoulder.

“Good morning.” Smitty smiled. Evan turned, his cheeks feeling warm. “Do you like your flowers?”

“Yes, thank you.” Evan smiled. He pulled Smitty into a soft kiss. Warm morning sunlight washed over them. Smitty’s fingers threaded through Evan’s soft black hair. Smitty broke away to kiss Evan’s cheek. He trailed kisses over his jaw. “Shouldn’t you be letting me get dressed so we can have breakfast with the guys?” Evan smiled.

“They can wait.”

 

“Happy birthday!” Balloons filled the kitchen and living room. On the dining room table was an array of breakfast foods, a small pile of presents at the end of the table. The TV was on mute, the morning news on. On the screen were pictures of a few teenagers who were missing.

Evan blushed, covering his blushing face as he was crushed under a group hug from his family. He should have known this was coming, they do this for every birthday. Evan had blown up balloons for Smitty’s birthday, had gone out to get the cake for Craig’s birthday, had helped Marcel make pancakes on Daithi’s birthday, had gone present shopping with Brock for Marcel and had strung up the streamers around the living room for Brock’s birthday. On days like this, it’s hard to imagine these boys of being capable of the worst kinds of violence. When they released Evan from the hug, they got him to sit down at the table, sliding the presents towards him.

“Can I at least have some coffee first?” Evan smiled, his cheeks bright red. They enjoyed the breakfast that Brock and Craig had made. Maple syrup soaked the pancakes on Evan’s plate. While they ate and talked, Evan’s warm gaze would drift over to Smitty, his soft lips spreading into a smile. Smitty resisted the urge to reach for Evan’s hand. Craig noticed their glances and smiled, his blue eyes lowering to the dark depths of his coffee mug.

When they were done breakfast, Marcel slid an envelope to Evan, a smile on his face.

“Go on, open it!” Marcel urged him. Evan smiled, tearing open the envelope. Inside was a silly card from Marcel with a little note inside. Tickets fell from the card. Evan’s eyes widened. “You had said this DJ would be performing tonight so I got us all passes.” Marcel smiled.

“Oh my god, thank you!” Evan couldn’t help his laugh of excitement. He got up, hugging Marcel tightly. Remembering Brian’s request to see him tonight, Evan wondered if he’d be able to sneak out in time.

“Totally one-upped us,” Daithi said, scratching at his shoulder where a purple bellflower bloomed permanently in ink. At the other side of the table, Lui idly scrolled through his phone. Craig gave Evan his present next as he sat back down. As Evan was tearing off the wrapping paper, Lui’s phone went off. They all stopped, looking up at Lui.

“Sorry.” Lui got up, answering the phone as he stepped outside. Craig turned back to Evan with a sigh. He gave him an encouraging smile. Evan pulled off the paper, revealing a white box. Inside was a beautiful leather coat with embroidered flowers down the back.

“I saw it and thought you would like it.” Craig smiled.

“Than-“

“Fuck.” Lui cut Evan off as he came back inside. Evan’s brow furrowed.

“What is it?” Brock asked.

“One of my informers has been killed. He shot him right in the head last night.” Lui hissed.

“Who shot him?” Marcel demanded.

“Brian. Who the fuck else? Someone must have snitched that he was giving me information. He was the one who told me about Brian’s hitman.” Lui explained. Evan’s grip on the leather jacket tightened, the colourful thread of the flowers glinting in the light. “He could have told Brian about me!” Lui cried. “Fuck.”

“Is now really the time for this?” Craig sighed.

“Yes, it fucking is, Craig! You want to get shot in the head too?”

“Hey...Did you get your flower covered up?” Daithi’s hand grabbed Lui’s wrist. “Your dahlia, it was right here!”

“I thought we were done.” Lui pulled his wrist away from Daithi’s grasp. “I didn’t want it anymore.”

“Neither did any of us after what happened to Tyler, after being betrayed like that by Jonathan, but we still kept it.” Craig suddenly snapped. He stood up, his knuckles turning white. “You don’t get to walk away from us and pretend that we never existed! You don’t get to come back and act like you never left! Like you never covered up your flower!”

“It's just a tattoo, Craig!”

“No its not!” Craig yelled back. Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. Craig lowered his head, his shoulders trembling. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Evan.” Craig walked away from the table, hurrying up the stairs. Brock tossed his napkin down on the table and hurried after Craig. Lui headed back outside.

Evan’s left hand pressed down onto his right hand. He didn’t feel like celebrating anymore.

 

“Okay, let's try this again. Happy birthday!” Smitty smiled. Warm sunlight washed over the beach. A yellow beach umbrella flapped in the breeze. Colourful beach towels lay on the sand. Evan smiled. He had awkwardly sat through opening the rest of the presents from the guys and insisted on helping clean up. He didn’t want Craig to come back downstairs to a mess. When they were done Smitty managed to convince him to put on his swim shorts and spend some time on the beach.

Evan felt better out of the house.

Smitty raced him into the waves, the salty water splashing around the two boys as they dove under water. Evan’s black hair rippled around his face as he swam underwater for a few moments before returning to the surface. He was greeted with a kiss from Smitty, his lips tasting like salt water.

All he could think about was how soft Smitty’s kisses were, how safe he had felt when he slept in his arms, the way he looked at him, the way he smiled, the way he laughed, the way he held his hand. He knew that when Smitty would eventually leave him alone, the thoughts of Brian, Jonathan and the next job he had to do would come back but for now, he cherished these moments of peaceful silence.

The waves rolled around them. A camera on the beach flashed.

After a few minutes in the water, Smitty shivered, saying that it still wasn’t warm enough. Evan didn’t think it was cold. Smitty returned to the sand but Evan continued to float in the waves for a little bit longer, his dark eyes on the blue sky above him.

Letting the tide hold him, Evan closed his eyes.

The warm sunlight and the cold waves washed over him. He didn’t want to go back inside, didn’t want to silently make his way past Craig’s room for fear of disturbing him, didn’t want to accidentally meet Lui’s stare, didn’t want to force a smile around the others who wanted to celebrate him today. They wouldn’t let him not celebrate today. They would want to go out, want to go to the show, want to get drunk again and Evan would simply do as he was told. They would say go so he would. It gave him less anxiety to just do as he was told. Brian always said that it’s easier that way.

“Why can’t everyone I work with be like you?” Brian had asked fondly while blood dripped from Evan’s motorcycle gloves.

Evan took a deep breath and slipped underwater.

 

They tried their best to fix the day.

Dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans with his new floral jacket, Evan went shopping with Marcel and Smitty. He trailed his hand over the expensive shirts hanging in the minimalist shop on Rodeo, designer shoes on display on the walls, watches glittering under a glass case. The flowers on his new leather jacket glinted in the light. In a place like this, Evan couldn’t ignore where their money came from. It came to them bloody, a path of chaos behind it. For Evan, the money he kept in his wallet was a gift from Brian who always gave him a little bit of the bounty money. Evan would take that money with bloody hands and spend it on clothes, bouquets and alcohol. He would even give that bloody money to his mom, ignoring her questions about where it came from. He got her a new car, got renovations done to the house he grew up in because she didn’t want to leave it, even helped get her a decent job as a secretary.

“It’s the least I can do to help.” Brian had said. On the worst nights where the blood pooled around his feet, Evan told himself that he owed Brian everything, that that justified everything. It didn’t make him feel any better.

“How about these?” Evan turned, looking back at Smitty who was holding a shoe box. Inside were bright yellow shoes.

“Those are cool,” Evan said quietly. He turned away, finding Marcel by the counter, his eyes on the watches inside.

“I’ve always wanted a Rolex,” Marcel said. “Do you think I should get one?”

“If you want to.” Evan shrugged. Marcel looked up at Evan, seeing the downcast look on his face.

“Hey, we’re sorry about earlier. Tensions are high right now. We haven’t done a job in a while and it’s bringing back a lot of stuff we thought we were done with.” Marcel sighed. Evan had nothing left to say so he said nothing. “We’re trying, Evan. Please just give us that.” Marcel said sharply. Smitty looked up at them from across the shop. “We’re trying to make things right, trying to find Jonathan. Don’t treat us like we aren’t. Don’t just go silent when we try to talk you about this.” Marcel’s tone was sharp. Evan kept his eyes down. “What's been with you lately?”

“How about these?” Smitty suddenly pushed his way between the two, another shoe box in his hand. Evan gave Smitty a smile, thankful that Marcel was done for now. They spent far too much money that afternoon on clothes and shoes. When they returned back to the house, they got pizzas delivered and got ready to go out to the show. Excitement built up in Evan’s chest. The arguments and feelings of guilt were forgotten. In the cab to the show, Evan held Smitty’s hand tightly, the neon lights of the city passing by making the flowers on his jacket glow. He found himself thinking about Tyler, about how he wished he was here with them. If he was here they wouldn’t be fighting. He wouldn’t be dead. He would know what to say. Evan wanted to do that, wanted to know what was always the right thing to say. A part of Evan knew that Tyler would be happy to see them this excited and carefree for once.

That’s how Evan would want Tyler to see him.

The venue was packed full of people. Craig had come with them, trying to put on a happy face for Evan who knew he would end up waiting alone in the lobby for the end of the show. Evan was glad they had gotten a little bit drunk before the show, for now, he felt light, as though he were floating in the waves again. When the music started, the crowd roared. Neon lights flashed, nearly blinding Evan who didn’t care. As the music got louder, confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling over the crowd. Sparkling confetti landed on Evan who smiled brightly, the red neon lights casting him in a rosy light.

 

The sun was starting to rise over the ocean as a black and yellow motorcycle drove through the quiet streets, the sound of the engine echoing off the buildings that lined the road. Palm trees swayed gently in the morning breeze. The bike turned into a parking garage, parking by the door. Evan got off his bike, leaving his helmet on till he got the elevator. A piece of confetti fell from his helmet, landing on the floor of the elevator. Evan leaned his head back against the wall, a content smile on his face. When they had gotten back from the show, Evan found himself back in Smitty’s bed. When he had fallen asleep, Evan had reluctantly gotten out of bed.

The elevator doors opened. Evan stepped out into the hallway, instinctually glancing left and right for an attacker before heading towards the penthouse door. He knocked twice. Anthony answered.

“Happy birthday.” Anthony smiled as Evan stepped inside. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. I’m glad.” Anthony glanced towards the living room and the balcony where Brian was leaning against the rail, a whiskey glass in his hand. “Evan, whatever he says to you…” Anthony trailed off. He took a deep breath. “Just...Just don’t do what he tells you to without thinking about it, okay? Please?”

“It’s easier to do what he says without question, Anthony. You know that. How many times have I stuck my neck out to save you from him?” Evan said before he could stop the words, the alcohol in his system making him confident. The look of hurt on Anthony’s face struck Evan. “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to be so mean…”

   “No...It’s okay. You’re right. It is easier.” Anthony turned away from Evan, closing the door. He headed down the hallway, leaving Evan alone with Brian. Evan made his way across the room to the balcony. Brian smiled when he saw him.

“Happy birthday, Evan,” Brian said, pulling him into a hug. “I’m glad you came by.” Evan remembered Brian asking him to come by but he said nothing. “I got a present for you.” Brian said with a smile, taking his helmet from. Evan followed Brian back inside. There were two boxes on the coffee table, a neat black box tied with a rose red ribbon and a military green box. Brian set Evan’s helmet down and picked up the little black box and handed it to Evan. He watched as Evan pulled the ribbon off and opened the box. Inside was an expensive gold watch. Evan stared at it. It was a gold match to the silver watch Brian wore. “Do you like it?” Brian asked with a smile.

“Yes. Thank you.” Evan promptly closed the box. Brian’s smile wavered.

“Why don’t you put it on?”

“Right now?”

“Yes. Right now.” Evan stared at Brian for a moment before opening the box, taking the watch out. “Let me.” Brian took the watch from Evan. He gripped his wrist tightly. Evan winced. The red ribbon slipped from his hand, falling to the floor where it pooled like blood. Brian tightened the watch so it fit nicely on Evan’s wrist. He smiled. “I think it suits you.”

“Thank you…” Evan said quietly. After a moment, Brian let go of Evan’s wrist.

“There's one more thing. You’ve come a long way, Evan. I’m proud of you.” Brian said. “Tell me about this little heist your ‘family’ has started planning.” Evan’s chest tightened.

“I-I’m...I’m not a part of it. I don’t really know anything.” Evan sighed.

“Why is that?”

“They think I’m useless. That I’m weak.”

“You aren’t useless, Evan,” Brian said reassuringly. “I’d be nothing without you.” Evan smiled. “You are sure you don’t know anything?”

“They’ve gotten this woman named Kelly and her gang, I guess, to help with dealing with security,” Evan explained. Brian nodded.

“I know Kelly. Anything else?”

“I don’t think so...With Lui back, everything has been really tense. He covered up his flower tattoo…”

“Tyler is dead,” Brian said bluntly. "We both saw it happen." The memory of a half-open gate and bushes filled with red flowers surrounded a pool flashed through Evan's mind. The memory of the crystal blue water turning red seized the air from Evan's chest. He remembered how hot it had been that day, remembered the faint sound of wind chimes, remembered how his muscles had screamed with pain as he ran away from what he couldn't face.

Brian sighed. “I can understand why tensions would be high,” Brian said after a moment. Evan took a deep breath, forcing the memories from his mind. “I want you to make yourself a part of their plan. I don’t care how you do it, just be a part of their plan. I want you there.” Brian picked up the military green case. He opened it, revealing a grenade inside. Evan’s eyes widened. “I want you to sabotage their heist by any means necessary.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said with the last chapter, things are going to start getting pretty bloody/disturbing. This chapter ended up being way longer than I thought it would be lol I've posted a more general kind of playlist for Petals which you can find here:  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/aqueeenofokay/playlist/1O92jEFqp74yrkzijwmjEG  
> You can also find the soundtrack here:  
> ghosstkid.tumblr.com/post/172153948919/here-is-the-soundtrack-for-petals-you-can-find
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

The engine of the motorcycle rumbled as it slowly drove through the ratty motel parking lot, coming to a stop at the far end. Its driver gripped the handlebars tightly. He lowered his head, tears falling from his eyes to the black visor that hid his identity from the world around him. Across the street, a neon pink sign in a laundromat window buzzed. After a few moments, he kicked down the kickstand and sat back, heaving for air. The driver reached up to his helmet, pulling off the strap and taking it off. 

Black hair fell around Evan’s eyes. 

The backpack on his back felt heavy. Inside was the case with the grenade. Evan shuddered at the thought of it. 

“That helicopter will be full of cash and my product that I intended to have sold. But since that isn’t going to happen, I want it gone so it doesn’t spread throughout the city and come back to bite me. I know how you and your friends like to spend money.” Brian had said harshly. “So destroy it.” 

“What if someone is...is in the helicopter?” Evan had dared to ask. He already knew the answer. Brian simply stared at him. “I’ll do it…” Evan had breathed. Brian had smiled. 

Setting his helmet down on the front of the motorcycle, Evan took a deep, heaving breath. 

An ambulance sped past the garage, it’s siren wailing. 

Evan struggled to control his breathing. He had to get back to the house before anyone noticed. He pulled his gloves off and unzipped his black and yellow jacket. Underneath was one of Smitty’s t-shirts. He hadn’t bothered with the motorcycle pants, instead, he had just pulled on his jeans before he left. He folded his jacket and put it and the gloves in his bag, doing his best not to look at the green case. He pulled the black tarp back over his bike and helmet and headed home. It was still too early for anyone to be out save for the occasional commuter or jogger. A cold breeze coming off the ocean made Evan shiver as he walked. The world was illuminated in a soft blue glow as the sun began to rise. A helicopter flew overhead. The birds began to sing. The smell of jasmine flowers filled the air. A camera flash behind him caught his eye. He turned, seeing no one behind him. After a couple more blocks, sand began to cover the road.

Evan quietly unlocked the door, stepping inside. No one was up yet. He closed the door, locking it behind him. He kicked off his shoes and headed upstairs, setting his bag down in his room before slipping back into Smitty’s room. He pulled off his jeans before climbing back into bed. 

“Mmm...Where did you go?” Smitty whispered, half asleep. 

“I just went for a walk...I couldn’t sleep.” Evan lied. “Don’t worry.” Evan rested his head against Smitty’s shoulder as he sleepily wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. Smitty fell asleep again but Evan remained wide awake. 

 

Late afternoon light illuminated the bedroom. The waves rolled gently onto the shore. The dining room table downstairs was covered with maps, blueprints and beer bottles. Around the table, the gang members traced routes through the maze of the compound. They didn’t notice that one of their members wasn’t there planning with them. 

Evan stared at the green case on his bed. 

The grenade looked violent and cruel. Evan didn’t want to touch it. 

“Fuck this.” Evan turned away from the grenade. He grabbed his backpack and threw open his closet. He grabbed clothes at random, stuffing them into his bag. 

He’d run away. That's what he always did. He ran away from Ryan and Luke, ran away from Jonathan, now he’ll run away from Brian. 

The sound of laughter floated up to Evan. He slowly made his way towards his window. Smitty and Daithi were sitting on the patio, drinks in their hands. Letting out a silent sob, Evan threw his bag down on the floor, expensive clothes spilling out. He leaned against the wall by the window, slowly sinking down to the floor where he hugs his legs to his chest. He thought about when Smitty had finally woken up for the second time that morning and passionately kissed Evan, telling him how happy he was to wake up with him. Evan had smiled despite the pain in his chest.

Evan couldn’t run away. He lifted his head, his gaze on the green case. Could he lie to Brian? Could he tell him that he didn’t have the best aim? Could he just not throw it? Could he tell them they just wouldn’t let him be a part of the heist? No. Brian wouldn’t take no for answer. He would know if Evan lied to him. Evan’s gaze lowered to the watch on his wrist. He pulled it at it, wanting it off. His nails scratched at the gold metal, but the watch didn’t loosen. Evan let out a sob of frustration, dropping his hands to his side. Could he tell Smitty the truth? The memory of Smitty standing over him, a gun in his hand flashed through Evan’s mind. 

“Killing you puts all of us, including Brian, back at square one…” Smitty had said, his grip tightening on the gun. 

Evan put his hands over his face, tears of fear falling down his cheeks. He couldn’t tell Smitty. 

The sound of Smitty’s laughter and the ocean waves floated through the window on the late afternoon breeze. 

After what felt like hours, Evan finally got up and put his clothes back in his closet. 

 

Golden light washed over the beach as the sunset. The sand felt warm from the heat of the day under Evan’s feet. He had rolled his jeans up, his sandals in his hand as he walked with Smitty down the beach. They stopped by the water, Smitty hesitantly putting his feet in the cold water. Evan had no problem with the cold salt water. He left his shoes on the sand, daring to go a little bit deeper. 

“Are you okay? I didn’t see you much today.” Smitty said, his eyes on the water. 

“I’m fine.” Evan sighed. 

“Truth?” 

“Truth.” Evan didn’t meet Smitty’s gaze. He slowly made his way back to where Smitty was standing, the golden glow of the sunlight washing over them. “Smitty...Can I ask you something?” 

“Of course.” Smitty reached for Evan’s hand. 

“What were you thinking when you put a gun to my head two years ago?” Evan asked. Smitty’s grip tightened on Evan’s hand. 

“Evan...I...I...It was what they wanted me to do. I didn’t know you. I would never do that now. I was scared-” 

“Be honest.” Evan breathed. Smitty let go of Evan’s hand. He looked beautiful in the golden light but his eyes were full of tears. 

“I was scared. I didn’t want to do it...But at the same time...I was jealous of you. I was the baby of the group before you showed up. Tyler was always there for me. Then he found you. And he wasn’t there anymore...and then Jonathan shot him…” Smitty’s shoulders shook. Evan reached for Smitty, pulling him into a hug. He hadn’t meant to make him cry. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry...I’m sorry I threatened you...I’m sorry I tried to justify it...When Tyler showed up and hit me, I was relieved that he saved you from me...But at the same time...He didn’t even try to save me like that from John. He let him kick me while I was down and humiliate me.” Smitty sniffled. “I’m sorry…” Evan gently kissed Smitty’s tear-stained cheek. “I’d never hurt you...Never.” 

 

“I can help carry your supplies.” 

“Evan…”

“Or just watch your back just in case something goes wrong, you know. Or maybe you could teach me a few things and I could help you in case something-“

“No. We’ve already been over this.” Craig sighed. He turned away from his table where he was taking inventory, crossing his arms. Evan had invited himself into his room, bombarding him with questions about his equipment before finally asking if he could be a part of the heist. “You aren’t coming with us, Evan.” 

“Why? Why can’t I come with you? Lui made it sound easy. Is it anything like when we took the safe? Though, I wouldn’t know because you left me alone in a closet to fight Jonathan on my own!” Evan cried.

“Evan, you were a seventeen-year-old kid. We weren’t going to bring you into a fight like that. We had no idea that Jonathan would find you.” Craig sighed. Evan looked down. He still had nightmares about the darkness of the closet, about Jonathan who stood on the other side of the door, taunting him. 

“Do you really think I’m useless?”

“No, I don’t think that, Evan. It’s not...It’s just...You can’t fight, can’t shoot, can’t-“

“I get it.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt. Tyler didn’t want you to be a part of the heists.” Craig reminded him. 

“I feel like you guys are just trying to exclude me because you think I’m dead weight.” Evan looked up at Craig through his lashes, hoping the guilt trip would be enough. "I’m a part of this too. Please. Any chance to get at Brian and-“

“If you are a part of this then why don’t you decorate your room, get comfortable living here because if you are a part of this, you won’t be going back home to your mom when Jonathan is dead, right?” Craig suddenly snapped. Evan couldn’t stop the look of hurt that spread across his face. Craig sighed. “I’m sorry. Just sit this one out, okay?” Craig pleaded. He pulled Evan into a hug. “You can help out with planning and stuff; learn a thing or two? How does that sound?”

“Sure, I guess…” Evan sighed. He moved away from the hug, quietly leaving Craig’s room. 

He had woken up feeling hopeless. He couldn’t run away, Brian would find him, he would hurt Smitty and the others. He couldn’t convincingly lie without being there.  There was nothing he could do but keep asking till they finally let him join the plan. 

Evan glanced down at the living room, seeing Lui and Smitty sitting on the couch, going over the best places for possible cover. He heard Marcel and Daithi’s voices coming from outside. Evan hesitantly made his way down the stairs and out onto the patio where he sat down on the stairs watching Marcel and Daithi. The two were practising their hand to hand combat, their forms a little bit too sloppy for Evan who had been taught strictly. 

“Again!” Scotty had yelled. Evan heaved for air. Covered in sweat and bruises, Evan had pulled himself back up off the mat. Brian watched from the door. Evan swung at Scotty who blocked him and punched him painfully in the stomach, sending the eighteen-year-old boy falling to his knees. “Again. In a fight like this, it wouldn’t be over until one of us is dead. Come on. Get up.” Struggling to breathe, Evan had gotten back up. 

“You wanna try?” Evan was snapped out of his thoughts by Daithi who had noticed Evan watching them. 

“Daithi.” Marcel hissed. Evan glanced back over his shoulder. None of the others were looking at him. Evan forced an excited smile and got up. 

“Sure. I want to try.” Evan called out as he jogged across the sand towards him, his slides kicking up sand. 

“I don’t know if we have the time to go over the basics right now…” Marcel said, glancing at the sliding door behind Evan. “Lui wants us back inside in a little while to go over some stuff.” 

“I’m a quick learner,” Evan said sharply, catching Marcel and Daithi off guard. “Besides, if you teach me a few things, I can join you on the heist and help you. I can be your backup!” Evan insisted. He hated every word that was coming out of his mouth. “Please?” 

“Sorry, Ev. Lui ruled that you can’t come with us. I mean, if it was up to me I’d say hell yeah but Lui’s word is law I guess.” Daithi sighed. Evan sighed, his hands curling into fists. “I’ll teach you some things though. Here, put your hands up. Stand with your weight balanced. You don’t want to be unsteady and you have to move quickly.” Evan humoured Daithi, standing how he instructed. Marcel stepped away, watching with an amused look on his face. Daithi ran Evan through a few basic moves such as blocking and how to hit properly. “Okay, I’m gonna swing at you and you gotta block it, okay?” Evan nodded. Daithi swung his fist at Evan who without thinking, grabbed his wrist. He hit the inside of Daithi’s elbow with his right palm, earning a cry of shock from Daithi who had no time to react as Evan kicked the taller boy’s legs out from under him, sending him crashing face down to the sand. 

“Holy shit!” Marcel cried. Evan still held Daithi’s wrist, his eyes widening as he realized what he had down. Evan dropped Daithi’s wrist as he let out a groan of pain. 

“S-Sorry...I uh…” Evan stammered. Marcel stared at Evan, his brow furrowed in confusion and shock. Daithi rolled over, spitting out sand. “Sorry. I uh...I…” Evan’s brain scrambled to come up with an excuse. Evan helped Daithi get back up, apologizing again. “Sorry,” Evan said one last time before turning and fleeing into the house. 

 

Evan avoided leaving his room for the rest of the afternoon, fearing running into Marcel and Daithi who would ask questions, who would most likely tell the others about Evan and what he had done. He paced his room, his left hand pressing down on the top of his right hand. He couldn’t do this. 

The sun slowly set over the city, the sky lighting up with bright oranges and pinks. A red convertible drove down the quiet sandy road, coming to a stop out front of the beach house. 

Evan finally stopped pacing, sitting down on his bed. He held the military green case tightly. The sound of voices from downstairs floated up the stairs. Evan closed his eyes tightly. He wanted so badly to just run away, to never be found by Brian or anyone. He supposed that he could just get onto his bike and drive until he was in a place where no one knew him. The thought of Brian going after Smitty and his family kept Evan from getting up and packing his bag again. The idea of showing up as the Bogeyman crossed his mind, his identity would be hidden under his helmet but he feared that he would have to fight Smitty and the others. He didn’t want to hurt them. 

A knock at the door startled Evan. Frantically, he slid the green case under his bed, pulling the blanket down so it would be hidden and wiped the tears from his eyes. He ran a hand through his black hair before opening the door. Smitty smiled at him. 

“Hey? Are you okay? I haven’t seen you all afternoon.” 

“I’m...I’m fine. I’m okay.” Evan nodded. 

“Evan...Truth?” Smitty reached for Evan’s hands, holding them tightly. “Talk to me. Please.” 

“It’s just...I want to be a part of this heist...I-I...I don’t want you to be alone. I don’t want to wait around here not knowing if you are going to be coming back. I want to go with you, Smitty. Please.” Evan hated himself. He hated every word he said to Smitty and felt horrible for the sympathetic look that appeared on Smitty’s gentle features. It was true that he didn’t want Smitty to go alone, he knew how ruthless Brian’s men could be, he was one of them, but it was a lie that he wanted to go. 

“I’ll talk to Lui; see what I can do. I don’t want you to be alone here waiting...I mean...If you stick with me it should be okay.” Smitty said. Evan’s chest hurt. “I’m not making any promises though.” Smitty smiled. He leaned down to kiss Evan. After a moment, Evan broke away, his eyes on the floor. “Kelly wants to talk to you.” Evan looked up, shocked. 

“Kelly?” 

“Yeah. She’s downstairs.” Smitty turned away from the door, heading for the stairs. Evan glanced back his bed where the grenade was hidden underneath it before following Smitty, closing his door behind him. Downstairs, three girls sat on the couch, one of them Jaclyn. Evan recognized the girl beside her, she was the one who had commented on his metallic jacket almost a week ago. She smiled at Evan when she saw him. By the patio door was Kelly and Craig, the two talking quietly. 

The news was on the TV, the volume way down. 

“Police are warning teenagers to not stay out past dark and to travel in pairs…” 

“Hi Evan,” Jaclyn said. “You haven’t met Sami and Simone yet have you?” 

“No. It’s nice to meet you.” Evan said quietly before awkwardly turning and walking across the room to Kelly. Jaclyn watched Evan, the sunlight turning his black hair a shade of midnight blue. “Smitty told me you wanted to talk to me?” 

“Yeah. Can we go for a walk?” Kelly asked. Evan nodded, leading the way outside and down the patio steps. “You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to it’s just...Something that has been on my mind since I last saw you.” Kelly took a deep breath. Evan kept his eyes down on the sand as they slowly walked. “You were there when Tyler died...right?” 

“Yes.” Evan nodded. 

“Can...Can you tell me what happened? I just want to know what happened to him. I know that Jonathan shot him but….That’s it.”

“That’s what happened.” Evan’s voice broke. Kelly stopped, her eyes filled with tears. 

“I’m sorry…” 

“No, it’s okay...I can tell you.” 

_ The Corvette drove slowly down palm tree-lined streets, the large mansions sprawling along the hillside. Evan looked out the window at the large homes, wondering if it really was Jonathan they were going to meet. The car turned up the hill, then onto a long driveway, coming to a stop by a flower-dotted hedge. Through a half-open gate was a swimming pool. The house was massive, bigger than any home Evan had seen in real life. Tyler took off his seat belt, turning the key.  _

_ “Stay here,” Tyler said sharply.  _

_ “But-”  _

_ “Stay here.” With that, Tyler got out of the car, closing the door behind him. Evan watched him walk towards the gate, looking around before opening it further and stepping into the floral backyard. Seconds passed. Evan’s heart raced. He stared at the gate, able to see red flower bushes and a pool. Palms trees swayed in the wind. The smell of jasmine filled the air. Heat bugs in the trees sang. Heat waves rippled off the road. It was silent.  _

_ The gunshot made Evan jump. He stared out the window, unable to see much of what was happening beyond the gate. He heard a splash. The pool water rippled. Evan couldn’t breathe. Tyler had told him to stay in the car but he had to get out. He had to make sure that Tyler was okay. He pulled the blade from his jacket pocket and opened the car door. He nervously stepped out of the car, moving around it slowly towards the gate.  _

“Shit...I’m sorry.” Evan rubbed at the tears falling from his eyes. “I haven’t...I haven’t really told anyone this…” Evan stammered. Kelly sat down on the sand and Evan did the same. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. 

“It’s okay, Evan. You don’t have to tell me. I was just...curious is all.” Kelly sighed. 

“No. I want to talk.” Evan took a deep breath. 

_ The gate swayed a little in the warm breeze. Evan swallowed, his grip tightening on the small knife. He pulled open the gate, stepping into the large backyard of the expensive mansion. The blade dropped from Evan’s gauze-wrapped hand. Tears spilt from his eyes.  _

_ “No!” Evan ran to the edge of the pool, dropping hard to his knees. Tyler floated in the water, blood turning the water red around his head. “No! Tyler!” Evan screamed, reaching for his body. He splashed at the water, trying to create a current to get him closer. “No! No! No!” His jacket and shirt were soaked, the gauze sticking to his wounded hand which stung painfully from the chlorine. “Tyler!” Evan wailed. A hand grabbed the back of his collar, throwing him harshly down onto the pool deck. Evan sobbed wildly, hitting at Jonathan as he tried to pin him down.  _

_ “Evan, come on now. I don’t want you to go for a swim too.” Jonathan said, a smile on his face.  _

_ “Don’t!” Evan screamed. “Don’t touch me!” A strong kick to Jonathan’s chest sent him stumbling back. Evan rolled onto his stomach, crawling towards his fallen knife. A boot came down on Evan’s right hand, crushing it. He screamed in pain, looking up at Luke, his face a silhouette in the blinding sunlight.  _

_ “What are you going to do, huh?” Luke asked mockingly. Evan screamed again, his shoulders shaking violently with sobs. “What are you going to do now that Tyler is dead?”  _

_ “No...No, please...Please!” Evan screamed. Blood soaked through the wet gauze, dripping onto the pool deck. “Please!”  _

_ “Oh give him a chance, Luke.” Evan turned his head. Brian stood on the patio, his smile as sharp as his suit. “This kid could raise hell for all you know.” He laughed. Luke glanced at Jonathan who nodded. Luke stepped off Evan’s hand. He let out a choking cry of agony, crawling weakly towards the knife. His bloody hand curled around it as he rolled in time to swing it at Jonathan’s face as he descended on him again. Jonathan snarled, smacking the knife from Evan’s hand as a red line formed across his cheek. He pinned Evan down, ignoring his screams and violent kicks.  _

_ “You know I know the code,” Jonathan whispered. “But you’re gonna tell it to Brian.”  _

“He was just fucking with me. He was putting on a show for Brian. He liked tormenting me.” Evan gasped. The waves rolled gently onto the beach. “He liked it. This whole time, Jonathan was fucking with me. He played me like a fool and enjoyed every minute of it. Jonathan is still out there and I bet he’s still planning on how to fuck with me more. I just want him dead.” Evan put his hands over his face. Kelly hugged him tightly. “I’m so scared of him, Kelly.” 

“You’re okay...Here, surrounded by Smitty and Craig and everyone, you are safe. I’m here for you too, Evan.” Kelly said softly. Evan managed a smile but he still wasn’t done. He wanted it all out. He took a deep breath and kept going. 

_ Evan looked up at him, struggling to breathe. He had never been so terrified in his life before.  _

_ “Stop! Please!” Evan cried, his face wet with tears and pool water.  _

_ “I don’t want to kill you Evan….I like you.” Jonathan ran a hand through Evan’s hair gently, making him cringe. He turned his head, stretching his arm further towards the blade. His fingers brushed against the wet metal. “Look at me.” He pulled Evan’s hair harshly, forcing him to look at him. “Tell me the code. I want to make sure I got it right.”  _

_ “No.” Evan spat in Jonathan’s face. “I made a promise.”  _

_ “You’re so fucking stubborn.” Jonathan snarled. “Don’t make me throw you in that pool too.” Evan looked past Jonathan to Tyler’s body, sobs ripping themselves from his throat. It was his fault. He couldn’t tell Tyler what he knew and now he was dead. It was his fault. “Tell us the code!” Jonathan yelled. Evan shook his head. Jonathan grit his teeth letting go of his hair to grab his collar, choking him as he pulled him to his feet, swinging him around to the edge of the pool. “Tell me.” Again, Evan shook his head. Jonathan looked up at Brian. Evan lifted his right hand, the gauze lose and bloody, the blade glinting in the sunlight. Evan stabbed Jonathan’s shoulder, blood oozing around the blade as Jonathan screamed in pain and anger. He shoved Evan into the pool, sending him falling into the bloody water.  _

_ Disoriented, Evan couldn’t tell which way was up and which was down. He heard a muffled gunshot, a bullet flying past him in the water. His eyes widened, stinging with chlorine. He swam frantically to the other side of the pool, under Tyler’s body. He pulled himself out of the water, his clothes feeling heavy and stuck to him. There was no way out but the gate behind Luke.  _

_ Evan took a deep breath, sprinting as fast as he could around the pool. Jonathan fired at him again, a pot full of flowers beside him exploding into tiny pieces. He kept running, sliding past Luke before he could grab him. Evan ran out the gate and past the black and white Corvette, past the red flowers, nearly stumbling down the hill as he ran, his lungs burning. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face, sobs racking his shoulders every time he tried to breathe.  _

_ “Run!” Jonathan yelled after him. “Run little piggy, run!”  _

Evan sobbed, heaving for air. Kelly gently rubbed his shoulders, letting him lean his head against her chest. 

“It’s okay...It’s okay.” Kelly whispered, brushing tears from her eyes. 

“I’m so scared, Kelly…” Evan cried. “I’m so scared of Jonathan…Of Brian, of everything.” 

“Jonathan scares me too...I thought he loved Tyler.” Kelly sighed. She leaned her head against the top of Evan’s head. They sat on the sand, watching the waves as the world got darker as the sunset. When the sun finally disappeared over the horizon and a chill in the air made them shiver, they got up and began to head back to the house. Evan couldn’t stop the tears that continued to well up in his eyes. Once inside, Kelly wrote down her phone number and gave it to Evan. “It’s important to talk about what you’ve been through. I understand, Evan.” She smiled reassuringly. “You can call me whenever.” 

 

The black and yellow motorcycle dangerously sped down the highway, swerving between cars. As good as it felt to talk about what happened that day, Evan couldn’t stop crying. He couldn’t stop thinking about how he could have saved Tyler if he was stronger, if he had been better. He couldn’t get the image of Tyler’s body in the pool and the red water out of his head. When Brian texted him with an address and a picture of the man who lived there, Evan had been eager to get out. He waited until Smitty had fallen asleep and once more pulled himself from Smitty’s arms, getting dressed in his gear. Under the sleeve of his leather jacket was the gold watch.

“This guy has also been working with Jonathan over the past little while. Feel free to ask him some questions.” Brian had texted Evan as he got to his bike. 

Now, Evan left the highway on the next exit, speeding through the quiet streets. He recognized this neighbourhood. He passed the convenience store he would get his snacks from, where he had gotten the chocolate bar he had given to Adam. He wondered if Adam could have predicted that the boy who had climbed the fence to sit with him as he died would turn into Brian’s ‘Bogeyman’. He didn’t like that name but since hearing Jaclyn say it he figured that it suited him. He liked Brian’s nickname better though; dangerous boy. 

The bike came to a stop under an orange streetlamp, giving it’s driver an almost unearthly glow. He took out his phone, checking the address. He looked up at the small house with bars over its front windows. Tucked into each boot and his right glove was a knife from his collection. The driver got off his bike, putting down the kickstand before walking calmly up the front steps and knocked on the door. There was a child’s bike left in the driveway. 

“You had better fuck off right now or I’m going to shoot you right in the fucking face!” A voice called out from inside. The boy sighed. He took a step back and kicked the door. On the second kick, it burst open, the locks old and flimsy. A bullet ricocheted off the doorframe, chips of wood falling over the intruder. The man inside staggered back, his eyes wide. He raised his gun to shoot again. The intruder pulled a knife from his boot with his right hand, as he grabbed the gun with his left hand. Before the man could react, the golden blade had been plunged into his wrist, blood spurting onto the floor. He screamed, dropping the gun. He tried grabbing at the intruder, slamming him violently against the wall. The air was knocked from his lungs. The intruder grit his teeth, kicking the man back hard. He pulled the intruder with him as he fell, the two crashing to the bloody carpet of the dark hallway. The man grabbed the intruder’s helmet, slamming his head repeatedly against the floor, smearing blood across his visor. The intruder grabbed the man’s wrist, digging his thumb into the deep cut. The man screamed, letting go of the intruder who rolled to his feet, picking up the gun, aiming it at the man’s head. 

“Jonathan. What do you know about him?” 

“J-Jonathan? I don’t...I don’t know-” The intruder lowered the gun and shot the man’s thigh. 

“What do you know about Jonathan?” The intruder yelled as the man screamed. The intruder seemed to pounce on him, pinning him down the floor, a knife to his throat. “Tell me!” 

“I-I’ve...I’ve been helping him...Helping him kidnap those kids.” The man cried. 

“What kids?” There was fear in the intruder’s voice. 

“Haven’t you been paying attention to the news?” 

“What...Why...Why is he kidnapping kids?” 

“Cause he’s obsessed with the kid Brian and Tyler found! Some days he sends us out to find any kid on a bike, other times its kids who apparently bullied the boy! I just grab them...I don’t...I don’t hurt them too badly or anything! Please, don’t kill me!” The man cried, his voice filled with pain. The intruder was frozen. “It’s Jonathan who kills them! He’s a fucking psycho!” 

“W-What does he have planned for this…particular kid?” The intruder found his voice. 

“I don’t know! I swear I don’t know! Some days he wants to kill him, other times he wants to protect him...From what I don’t know. He said something about Brian before...I can’t remember what.” The man cried. The intruder slowly got up. He put the knife away. “Please...Please…” The man whimpered. The intruder gripped the gun in his hand tightly with his gloved hand. In the distance, police sirens could be heard. The intruder’s hands were shaking. The gentle smell of jasmine flowers floated into the house on the night time breeze. 

“Is your kid here?” 

“No...S-She’s at her mom’s…” The man stammered. “Please...I know I’ve been so horrible...Please...Don’t...Don’t kill me.” The man begged the featureless man who stood over him, watching him bleed out onto the carpet. “Plea-” The intruder raised the gun and shot him. Silence descended over the house. Blood splattered onto the walls and floor. The intruder reached into his pocket for his phone to a picture. The flash illuminated the blood-soaked carpet. After a moment, the intruder tucked his phone and the gun into his black and yellow leather jacket and turned, walking out of the house. His pace was quick as he hurried back to his bike. He kicked up the stand and sped off, turning the corner as the first police car arrived. The motorcycle sped up dangerously. The driver’s shoulders were trembling, tears blurring his vision. The engine roared. The motorcycle sped towards the highway and the downtown core of the city. Blood dripped down the front of his leather jacket. 

The driver narrowly avoided being hit as he merged onto the highway, his gloved hands gripping the handlebars tightly. In a few minutes, the motorcycle pulled into a hotel’s underground parking lot. He parked where he always did and stumbled towards the door. He frantically pressed the button to call the elevator, unable to breathe under his helmet. Once in the elevator, he leaned heavily against the wall, heaving for air. On the top floor, he stumbled out and knocked frantically at the door. 

“Who is it?” Anthony called out. The driver managed to regain himself for just a moment to knock twice. The door opened. The driver almost collapsed into Anthony’s arms, heaving for air. “Brian!” Anthony yelled. The blonde man was there in seconds, a look of concern on his face. 

“Come on, sit down. You’re okay.” He gently lead the driver over to one of the expensive couches, sitting him down. Brian reached gently for his helmet, pulling off the strap and lifting if off his head. Evan heaved for air. “You’re okay...What is it? What’s wrong, Evan?” Brian cupped Evan’s face in his hands, brushing away his tears with his thumbs. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” 

“Jon...Jonathan…” Evan gasped. He closed his eyes tightly, his hands shaking violently. He couldn’t breathe. His chest felt like it was being crushed. “Jonathan…” 

“What about Jonathan? Did you see him?” 

“No...No...He...He…” 

“Anthony get him some water,” Brian ordered. Anthony did as he was told. He returned with a cup of water, handing it to Evan who drank all of it, water dripping down his chin. “What about Jonathan, Evan?” Brian asked, taking the empty cup away from Evan and setting it down on the coffee table. 

“He’s...He’s getting people to...to...K-Kidnap kids...K-Kids on bikes...L-Like I was...Or...Or...T-The kids who...who made fun of me…” Evan managed to gasp out. He suddenly reached for Brian, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He pressed his sweaty, tear-stained face against Brian’s chest. “W-What is he g-going to do me?” Evan cried. Brian said nothing as he wrapped his arms around Evan. “P-Please...Please don’t let him hurt me.” Evan sobbed. Brian held Evan tightly, closing his eyes. The sound of sirens from the street below found their way up into the penthouse. Outside, on the fourth floor, the hotel swimming pool seemed to glow a neon blue, the water gently lapping against the cement sides. 

There was a knock at the door. Anthony went to answer it.

“Where is Brian? This is urgent.” Ryan’s voice from the hallway called out. Brian suddenly moved away from Evan, leaving him on the couch as he got up. 

“Who the fuck is this?” Brian snarled. Evan turned to see Ryan and another one of Brian’s men, a man named Arlan, dragging a young man into the room. There was a black bag over his head. 

“There was an attack on of the shipments. The rest got away but we got this one.” Ryan snarled, pulling the bag off the young man’s head. He looked like he was barely Evan’s age, his eyes wide with fear. He met Evan’s teary gaze. Evan looked away. There was nothing he could do. 

“Fucks sake.” Brian snarled through gritted teeth. “Did they make off with anything?” 

“They got a quatre of it.” Ryan sighed, his left eye lowered. There was a grey patch over his right eye. Brian suddenly slapped Ryan, making him stagger back. 

“You were supposed to fucking watch it!” Brian yelled. 

“We were!” Ryan cried. Brian turned away from him, his hands curled into fists. He lifted his gaze to Evan who stared back at him. He felt guilty knowing that Lui and the others were planning to do the exact same thing these men had tried. He felt horrified knowing that Brian knew their plan. 

“P-Please…” The young man begged Brian. “We won’t do it again. I’ll tell the others not to go near you again. I promise.” Brian crossed the room to the small bar, pouring himself a glass of whiskey in a heavy crystal glass. They watched him take a few sips as he slowly walked across the room. 

“Where can I find the rest of you?” Brian asked. 

“A-At an apartment building in Pasadena...Right by the highway and the church there...Please. Please, we won’t touch your stuff again.” The young man begged. 

“Write down the address,” Brian ordered. The man did as he was told, writing down the address on a pad of paper that Ryan handed to him. 

“P-Please...Please.” The young man sobbed. Brian finished his drink. His grip tightened on the crystal glass. “P-Please-” Brian threw the glass in the man’s face. Shards of glass and drops of blood fell to the floor. The man screamed in pain. Evan turned away as Brian suddenly stomped on the man’s skull. He heard bone break. Evan pressed his hands over his mouth, feeling like he was going to throw up. Ryan and Arlan cringed. Anthony turned away, his knuckles white. 

“Stop. Saying. Please.” Brian snarled with every stomp. Finally, he stopped, running a hand through his blonde hair. There was blood splattered onto his face. “A drink. Someone get me a fucking drink.” Brian yelled. No one moved. After a moment, Ryan moved, heading towards the bar. Brian breathed heavily, his eyes wide with anger. His polished shoes were red. Ryan handed Brian a glass of whiskey. “We’re going to pay these guys a visit.” 

Evan got up suddenly, his hand pressed against his mouth. He ran down the hall, closing the bathroom door behind him. He prayed that Brian wouldn’t hear him throw up. Hot tears streamed down his face. After a few moments, he fell back against the counter, his whole body aching. He couldn’t do this. If someone didn’t shoot him first he’d die from exhaustion. He didn’t want to find Jonathan anymore. He wanted to go home, wanted to crawl into Smitty’s bed and pretend that this night had never happened, that he never agreed to work with Brian. Evan pressed his hands over his face, trying to will himself to stop crying. He felt embarrassed for breaking down in front of Brian, felt embarrassed for acting so weak. He wished Smitty were here, wished Tyler were here. They would tell him that everything is okay; that he hadn’t made a huge mistake with no way of getting out of it. 

There was a knock at the door. Evan didn’t move. Slowly, the door opened. 

“We’re going now,” Anthony said quietly. He stopped when he saw Evan sitting on the floor, his eyes red, his cheeks stained with tears. He sighed, reached for a towel. He dampened it with cold water before kneeling down beside Evan, cleaning his face. “I’m sorry, Evan.” 

“F-For what?” Evan asked. 

“For everything.” Anthony helped him to his feet. “You shouldn't be here. You should be going to university, thinking about your future, going to parties. Not...Living through hell.” 

“I choose to be here,” Evan said quietly. He pushed past Anthony, heading into the hall. Another wave of nausea rolled over him when he saw the body and all the blood. Brian handed Evan’s helmet to him, giving him a reassuring smile. 

“One more job then I’ll take you home,” Brian promised. Evan nodded. He followed Brian and the others out to the elevator, gripping his helmet tightly. He rode in the Cadillac with Brian who would have his motorcycle brought back to his usual hiding place by the morning. “Don’t worry about Jonathan, Evan. It’ll all be okay.” Brian said, neon lights reflecting off the window. Evan nodded. 

The two black cars came to a stop out front the apartment buildings. 

The bells in the tower of the nearby church were ringing. 

The five men headed inside, everyone’s faces but Brian’s covered. Evan lowered the visor of his helmet. They used the key that had been on the young man to get in. They headed up a flight of rickety stairs. On the third floor, they followed Brian down the narrow, dingy hall. The smell of burnt food filled the air. They stopped out front apartment number 337. Brian knocked. 

“Who’s there?” A voice called out. 

“You got a flower delivery.” Brian smiled. No one else smiled. The door began to open. Brian shoved it open, sending the man inside sprawling to the floor. Ryan put his foot on his chest as Brian and the others moved inside. As the room descended into chaos, Brian took a seat on the couch; his expensive shoes covered with blood. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so so so much for the support Petals has gotten so far. I love seeing you guys theorize about who might find out about Evan's secret and other parts of the story. It means so much. Thank you.   
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!!

Evan dreamed of the small closet in the hotel, in his hands Smitty’s gun. He clung to it tightly, knowing he would be useless when it came time to use it. His wide dark eyes were locked on the door in front of him. A shadow blocked out the light coming under the door. Evan pressed his right hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He heard him laugh. His heart raced. 

"I found you, Evan..." 

The handle began to turn. 

The door suddenly flew open. Hands grabbed Evan. He screamed as they dragged him out of the closet. Jonathan laughed as he pinned Evan down to the cement floor. Evan kicked and struggled against Jonathan. 

A silver flash of a knife caught his eye. 

“No...No!” Evan screamed. Jonathan laughed, swinging the knife down at Evan's throat. 

Blood red petals covered the floor. 

Evan sat up suddenly, his heart racing. He blinked, taking in Smitty’s room around him. With a sigh, he laid back down on Smitty’s bed, covering his face with his hands. His body ached. He felt sick. 

Rolling over, Evan grabbed his phone from the bedside table, unlocking it. He quickly googled missing kids in the Los Angeles area. Among the young, unfamiliar faces was Evan’s yearbook photo from when he went missing.

He kept scrolling, finding more recent postings. There was a boy who lived two blocks away from the house Evan grew up in. He had seen him walking home a few times. There was a girl who had been friends with one of the boys liked to push Evan around. There was another boy who lived in the neighbourhood, barely eighteen years old. Another boy who had been a part of a series of cruel pranks against Evan in grade nine. These were people who twenty now like Evan, but to Evan, they were still the teenagers driving their parent’s car and laughing at him while he tripped onto the hot pavement, their backpacks full of homework. He wondered how Jonathan could have known about these people, he didn’t remember telling him about it. 

It terrified him. 

Evan set his phone down, taking a deep breath. Would he be able to fight Jonathan? Or would he just run away like he had in the past? If he had been able to fight just over two years ago, Tyler wouldn’t have left him alone in the car. 

The sound of the bedroom door opening made Evan look up. Smitty smiled as he closed the door behind him, handing a cup of coffee to Evan as he sat up. 

“How did you sleep?” Smitty asked. 

“Fine.” Evan lied. Brian had given him an orange bottle of pills, telling him that they would help him sleep. Evan had awkwardly thanked him and got out of the car a few blocks away from the beach house. He had taken them when he got home before crawling back into bed with Smitty as the sun was coming up, clinging to Smitty. The pills knocked him out but they gave him vivid nightmares. 

Smitty’s smiled disappeared. 

“Well, you were gone for most of the night...” Smitty said as he sat down beside Evan, his tone sharp. “Where were you?” 

“I went for a walk...I know I keep saying that. I-I’ve just been having difficulty sleeping lately. I’ve been having a lot of nightmares recently.” Evan said, looking down at his coffee. Smitty sighed, regretting his sharp tone. 

“What about?”

“Jonathan mostly.” Evan breathed. “I’m in that closet you left me in...and he’s on the other side of the door…” Evan closed his eyes, the image of blood-red petals flying across the floor flashing through his mind. 

He wished that he bled petals instead of blood. 

Smitty gently took the coffee cup from Evan and hugged him tightly. “I’m right here. I won’t leave you, Evan.” Smitty whispered. Evan nodded. Smitty kissed him, his fingers gently threading through his hair. He tasted like strawberry jam. Evan smiled, his arms wrapping around Smitty’s waist. Settling into Evan’s lap, Smitty broke away from the kiss. He smiled, pressing kisses against Evan’s neck, getting a quiet whimper from Evan. 

“I have good news,” Smitty whispered against Evan’s neck. 

“Hmm?”

“You’re coming with me on the heist.” Smitty breathed. Evan’s eyes opened wide, his chest tightening. 

“Stop. Saying. Please!” Brian had yelled, stomping on the head of a young man who thought he and his gang could steal from Brian. A wave of nausea came over Evan. Feeling him tense, Smitty sat up, looking down at Evan with concern. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“No...No, I...I...I hadn’t really expected...that Lui would say yes…” Evan struggled to get the words out. 

“I hadn’t either, honestly. I’ll show you some basic stuff later just in case anything happens, you can defend yourself till I show up to rescue you.” Smitty smiled, placing a kiss on Evan’s forehead. 

“Why did he say yes?” Evan asked, looking up at Smitty with wide eyes. A part of him wished Lui had said no so that he wouldn’t have to go. Smitty didn't answer right away, scaring Evan. 

“He said that you apparently managed to tackle Daithi yesterday afternoon and he wants to give you a shot after hearing that. You mean well and if it gets out of control, we’re nearby. Also, Kelly talked to him.” Smitty finally said. “Did you really tackle Daithi?” 

“I-I...Yes.” Evan sighed. “I watched a lot of action movies when I was younger,” Evan said. It wasn’t a lie. He did. He would watch them with his mom then after she would send him to bed, he’d stay up late, pretending to fight bad guys. One time he accidentally kicked his lamp off his bedside table and he cried and cried when his mom found out. She had only smiled and told him that she was glad that there was a little superhero in the house. He had one very foggy memory of who he could only assume was his dad before he passed away, holding Evan above his shoulders like he was superman flying through the sky. 

“There is something else…” Smitty said quietly, snapping Evan out of his thoughts. “Lui said something about that...that scared me. I should have brought it up first...I just don’t want to think about it.” 

“What?” Evan stared at Smitty, his chest tightening with fear. 

“He said that it’s odd how you always seem injured and...and that you are pushing so hard to be a part of this heist...I just...part of the reason he said yes is that he wants to watch you. Like he doesn’t trust you or something. Why wouldn’t he trust you, Evan?” 

“I-I don’t know…” 

“You would tell me if something is going on, right?” Smitty asked, reaching for Evan’s hand. 

He hesitated, a feeling of dread building up in his chest. 

“Yes...Of course, I’d tell you, Smitty.” 

“Truth?” Smitty leaned his forehead against Evan's. 

“Truth.” 

 

“Okay, Okay. Listen up. This is where we get in. Once the gate is open, we make our way here, where we split up. Smitty and...Evan...Will head up to the roof to watch from above, while the rest of us keep going through this way to the helicopter on the other side of this building here. There are two buildings, the one we enter, then there is this open, courtyard space then the second building. If the ‘Bogeyman’ is going to be anywhere, he’s going to be here.” Lui stuck a black pin into the blueprint of the second building. Evan stared at it as Lui glanced up at the two gangs that stood around him. The room was full, Tyler’s family and Kelly’s girls all standing around the table. Smitty had been going over some basic defence moves that Evan already knew when they had been called in for the meeting. “Any questions so far?” 

“Yeah, what should we do if we run into this fucking guy? Do we fight him or try to run around him?” Chrissy asked, her hand up. 

“If you are alone, try to run away. Don’t take him on alone and even then I’d try to avoid contact. We’ve all heard the rumours. He doesn’t know when to stop and give up in a fight. It's to the death with him.” 

“How do you know all this?” Evan suddenly asked. Lui glanced at Evan, caught off guard by the question. 

“It’s what I’ve heard from my contacts and people who have claimed to have seen him in action,” Lui answered. Evan’s eyes narrowed. Kelly watched Evan from across the room as he glanced back at the black pin on the map. 

“Here's a question,” Marcel asked. “Can we kill the Bogeyman? Or do we risk Brian coming after us if we kill his dog?” Evan’s hand curled into a fist. His gold watch glinted in the warm sunlight. 

“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask around to find out just how close this guy is with Brian. Anyways, moving on. Kelly, we’ll need your girl’s expertise with breaking into the building so we can get to the helicopter. Once we’re on to the other side, Smitty and Evan will join back up with us since the big fight is over. There shouldn’t be anything wild happening once we’re on this side. Just run to the helicopter. We’ll be leaving the cars we will take to get there behind. When you steal a car, just check the ones on your street. I don’t want the plan getting foiled cause you don’t know how to fucking steal a car. After that, we do a split of the goods and that’s it. Sound good?” There was a murmur of agreement around the table. Evan said nothing. He didn't want to do this. “Look out for each other. Don’t fuck around. Your actions have consequences.” 

 

Heat waves rippled off the highway. Desert foothills surrounded the highway, stretching towards the horizon and the bright blue sky. Sweat dripped down Evan’s neck into the collar of the red and white leather jacket he wore. Hidden under his sleeve was the gold watch. 

“That jacket’s got a story. Don’t get blood on it or anything.” Tyler had smiled, handing the red and white jacket to the blood covered seventeen-year-old boy who had been as pale as a ghost. 

Down the back of the jacket now was a long cut that had been haphazardly stitched up. Evan remembered running to the black and white Corvette, a desperate hope overwhelming him. He remembered seeing the bouquet of roses and hearing a click. He remembered Smitty screaming his name. He remembered hitting the pavement, tearing the jacket. 

Evan slowly turned his head away from the window to look at Smitty who had said nothing to him for almost an hour. There was a blue and red bandana tied around Smitty’s neck. 

“I don’t want to do this.” Evan had spluttered as they were leaving, the grenade in his backpack feeling heavy. 

“What? A few days ago you were begging to be a part of this!” Smitty had cried, frustrated.

“It’s just...It seems dangerous and Brian he...He’s…” 

“What about Brian?” Smitty had turned at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Evan with a questioning stare. Evan’s chest seized with panic. 

“What if he comes after us for stealing from him?” Evan asked. 

“Stop. Saying. Please.” The memory of bone-crunching and flesh sticking to an expensive shoe flashed through Evan’s mind. He gripped the rail as a feeling of nausea came over him. The grenade in his bag felt heavy. 

“Then we’ll fight him. Look, Lui thinks it’s safe. If Brian was really going to come after us for this, wouldn’t he have tried to stop us by now? We’re going, Evan. We need this.” Smitty had turned away from Evan, heading towards the door. Evan had no choice but to follow. “Kelly and I stuck our necks out for you convincing Lui that you should come with us. You acting like this makes me think maybe something really is going on.” Smitty said, pulling open the front door. 

“Nothing is going on!” Evan said suddenly, barely letting Smitty finish his sentence.

“Then why do you not want to go all of a sudden?” 

“I-I...I’m scared!” 

“You weren’t scared two days ago!” Smitty yelled, slamming the door closed as he turned back to Evan. “What the fuck, Evan?” 

“I just have a bad feeling, like something could go wrong!” Evan cried.

“What could go wrong? We’ve planned this down to the smallest detail!” Smitty cried. Evan looked down, his hands shaking. “What are you scared of?” Smitty yelled. “Tell me! Fucking talk to me, Evan! It’s like I’ve lost you over the past year. You are someone else than the kid I met when Tyler brought you home!” 

“Well, that’s what fucking happens when you throw a kid in with a bunch of fucking serial killers!” Evan yelled back. Smitty was taken aback. Evan looked down at the floor; he was a serial killer. 

“Evan...I know it’s hard...I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. You told me truth! You told me that you would tell me if something is going on. Let me help you, Evan!” Smitty cried.

“I don’t need your help,” Evan snarled. He regretted the words as soon as he had said them. Brian would have told him to say that. Smitty had stared at Evan, his eyes dark with anger. 

“Fuck you,” Smitty hissed, turning away from Evan. He yanked open the door once more, storming outside. Evan stood there in silence for a moment, alone in the beach house. He could run away now and they would think it was because of their fight. 

Instead, Evan had run after Smitty, the two saying nothing as they checked cars, finally finding one left unlocked. Smitty had tossed his bag into the back, slamming the trunk before getting in, struggling to hotwire the car. Evan had watched in silence. 

Now, Evan looked down at the owl mask on his lap, the large yellow eyes staring back up at him. He wished the air conditioner wasn’t broken. He took a deep breath, his gaze moving to his backpack where the case with the grenade was kept. He wondered if he could somehow get away with still throwing it, sabotage the mission without the others knowing, without them getting hurt. He doubted it. 

“Have we not done everything for you, Evan?” Smitty asked, breaking the heavy silence that had built up between them. Evan kept his eyes on his backpack. He couldn’t look at Smitty. He felt like a broken record, spitting out the same broken, false words over and over. He had nothing left to say except the truth. “Tyler and Craig saved your life. You wanted to find the vault after Tyler died so we found the vault. You want to find Jonathan so we’re looking. What happens after we find him? Are you going to leave us like this was nothing? You don’t get to fucking leave this, Evan. It’s not that easy. The only way out is a bullet in your head.” Smitty snarled. “You don’t need our help? Then why don’t you go with Lui and the others into the fight? Prove you don’t need our help.” Smitty’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. “We’ve done everything for you. I’ve given you everything. Would you leave like I was nothing to you?” 

“Smitty-” 

“I don’t want to hear that you’re sorry or that you don’t want to do this. Just...Stop.” Smitty stepped on the gas, the car speeding up. Evan turned his head back to the window, tears welling up in his eyes. He wanted to tell Smitty the truth, wanted to tell him the real reason why he didn’t want to go, why he had said that he didn’t need help. The duffel bag full of guns in the back kept Evan silent. 

An ambulance sped past them going in the opposite direction. 

The rest of the drive was in silence. Evan wanted to say something, wanted to reach for Smitty’s hand but the dark look in his eyes stopped him every time. He felt sick, his stomach twisting with anxiety and despair. His heart hurt. The car turned off the highway, the road quiet and lined with trees. Industrial buildings began to line the hot pavement. They drove past another stolen car that was pulled over on the side of the road. 

Kelly watched the car pass before she stepped on the gas, following Smitty. Soon they were joined by the others, a line of stolen cars speeding towards the warehouse at the end of the street. The first car in the line sped towards the gate, smashing through it. The cars came to a screeching halt once through the smashed gate. Smitty pulled the blue and red bandanna up over his mouth and nose before getting out of the car, saying nothing to Evan. The sound of gunshots made Evan jump. He took a deep breath, pulling the rubber mask over his head and grabbed his bag. He crawled over to the driver’s side of the car so he wouldn’t be in the open when he got out of the hot car. 

The others had taken cover behind their cars as they waited for Lauren to get the code for the door. From the windows, some of Brian’s men took aim, their bullets ricocheting off the cars. 

“How much longer, Kelly?” Lui yelled. Kelly held her phone in her hand tightly. 

“Give her a fucking minute.” Kelly sounded annoyed. 

"Just need the last number..." Simone's voice came from the phone. 

“We don’t have a minute! Why were you late, Smitty?” Lui turned his anger towards Smitty. “We had a window ten minutes ago!” 

“Sorry…Something came up,” Smitty called back, glancing at Evan. Evan lowered his head, the owl’s yellow eyes on the hot pavement. He felt like he had been stabbed. Tears welled up in his eyes. 

He had just wanted to protect them. 

Lui stared at Evan. 

“We’ll talk about it later.” Lui sighed. 

“Got it!” Kelly yelled. “Give me cover!” They sprang into action. Gunshots deafened Evan’s ears. He stayed by the car as they ran towards the door. Kelly punched in the code and kicked open the heavy metal door. The sound of gunshots and yelling echoed across the hot driveway. Evan gripped the straps of his backpack. He couldn’t make this decision. 

“Come on, Owl Boy.” Craig was suddenly pulling Evan to his feet. “We need you.” Evan could tell that Craig was smiling under his blue bandana. Evan managed to nod, following Craig inside. Evan saw Smitty darting up the stairs to the roof as the others were making their way to the far side of the building and the courtyard beyond. Evan stayed with Craig, his fingers slowly curling around the knife he had hidden in his sleeve. There was another in his shoe, a third one inside his jacket. 

Movement caught Evan’s eye. He turned his head in time to see a man lunge at him, not recognizing who he was. The gold blade in Evan’s hand glinted in the light as he slashed it at the man’s open hand, blood spurting onto the owl mask. He kicked the man hard in the chest, sending him falling back into the room he had come from. Evan dropped his knee harshly onto the man’s chest, punching him till the man’s face was bloody and bruises. He let out a cry of anger when he finally stopped, blood dripping from his hands. 

Arms suddenly wrapped around Evan, dragging him off the man. He managed to slip out the grasp of the second man, stabbing the blade through his shoe into his foot. The man screamed, catching the attention of Craig who had been in a rush to catch up with the others. He turned, starting to run back to Evan who pulled the blade out in time to see Craig running towards them. The man hit Evan, the force making him fall back against the wall. His hands wrapped around Evan’s throat, his thumbs pressing down on his jugular. 

Seeing Craig over the man’s shoulder, Evan resisted the instinct to dig his thumbs into the man’s eyes. Instead, he gripped the man's hands, letting him choke the air from his lungs. Craig brought the end of his gun down on the man’s head, forcing him to release Evan who gasped loudly for air as he fell back against the wall. He wiped his bloody hands on his jeans, nervously watching Craig. He picked up his mask, the dots of blood smeared across the honey coloured feathers. Evan pulled the mask back on, heaving for air. 

“You’re okay.” Craig reached for Evan’s hand, helping him step over the man. Evan prayed that Craig didn’t see the bloody mess he had made in the other room as they ran through the warehouse, coming out into the courtyard. Kelly and the girls had already gotten to the other building where they were waiting for Lauren to get the next code through her software back at Kelly’s place. A loud gunshot rang through the courtyard, a body dropping from a second story window of the second building. Evan looked back at the roof of the first building where Smitty was, watching through his scope. 

For just a moment, unknown to Evan, that scope was on him. 

Smitty watched Evan make his way across the courtyard to the others. The roof felt hot under his stomach. The large gun was beginning to feel hot in his hands too, the sun relentless. He could see Evan heaving for air. A feeling of regret come over Smitty. Sighing, Smitty turned the scope away from Evan. 

“Where’s the Bogeyman?” Chrissy yelled. 

“Don’t try to fucking find him!” Lui snapped as Kelly got the door open. They headed inside, firing at the men who came down the stairs. Evan and Craig waited until they were all inside before following them. One of the windows by the stairs exploded as a bullet fired from Smitty’s gun found it’s target, the man falling to the floor by Evan, blood spilling across the cement floor. Marcel stepped over his body like it was nothing, firing up the stairs. “We’re almost there. Daithi, signal Smitty!” Lui called out through the chaos. 

Chrissy aimed a hard punch to another man, sending him staggering towards Sami who grabbed his shoulders, shoving him roughly against the wall, bashing his head with the gun in her hands, her boxer braids flying around her head. 

The grenade in Evan’s backpack felt heavy as the large door at the end of the warehouse was opened, revealing the helicopter. It’s guards fired at them, forcing them to take cover. Evan fell behind a bunch of crates by the door, heaving for air. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He took a peak around the crates. If he threw the grenade now, he would destroy the helicopter and kill its guards, but he'd also anyone else around it. He fell back against the crate, pulling his backpack off. Everyone was too focused on shooting to notice him opening his bag. 

He couldn’t breathe. Evan closed his eyes tightly. 

"Come on...Do what you're fucking told..." Evan told himself. 

The memory of broken plastic flowers in a motel in San Diego flashed through Evan’s mind. The world seemed to blur around him. He thought about a half-open gate and blood red flowers, about his heart racing as the black and white Corvette sped through traffic, it’s driver doing everything he could to protect Evan. He thought about the family he would become a part of. 

Evan hugged the backpack to his chest, tears spilling from his eyes. 

He remembered pushing open the gate, remembered the sound of windchimes and the pool water lapping against the sides, remembered the blue water turning red, remembered the painful feeling of his knees being scrapped open as he fell, his hands reaching for Tyler’s body, remembered the scream that had ripped itself from his throat. He remembered running, running down the pavement soaking wet, tears streaming down his face, his bruised lungs burning. 

“Do what you’re told.” Blood splattered across the carpet. 

“I found you, Evan…” The closet door handle turned. 

Suddenly there was a hand on Evan’s arm, pulling him to his feet. Evan staggered as Smitty pulled him to his feet, the two sprinting towards the helicopter. Evan held his bag tightly, the grenade still inside. 

“Come on! Come on!” Brock yelled as Lui started up the helicopter. The girls were already getting inside. Smitty jumped into the helicopter, turning to help Evan get in. He gripped Evan's right hand tightly, pulling him into the helicopter with him. Slowly, Evan sat down beside Jaclyn, barely able to breathe. 

“Evan? Evan are you okay?” Jaclyn called out over the noise when she saw him heaving for air. “Evan?” Brock jumped into the helicopter, the last one to do so. The helicopter began to rise into the air, the wind whipping around him. His grip tightened on his bag. “Evan?” 

He couldn’t say anything, couldn’t move. 

He hadn’t done what he was told. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the support for this fic so far!! I'm super excited about what comes next!!

Pieces of glass fell to the carpet. Evan let out a scream of pain, his hands going up to his face. Shards of glass had found their way into his skin. He let out a sob, struggling to get up to run. Rough hands grabbed him, shoving him to the floor. Evan gasped for air, tears streaming down his face. 

“Please...Please...I’ll do what I’m told...Please…” Evan begged. Brian stared down at him, his eyes dark. Slowly, Brian raised his foot. 

“Stop. Saying. Please.” 

Blood red rose petals fell across the floor. 

Evan awoke with a start. He didn’t remember falling asleep. He remembered being dragged to a club to celebrate the successful heist but he had left early with Craig, telling him that he felt sick. He had paced his room for what felt like hours before collapsing onto his bed, tears staining his pillow. Every time he thought about what had happened, fear took hold of him. 

“Evan?” Jaclyn had called out, reaching for his shoulder. She had looked back at Kelly and Craig with worry, the helicopter rising higher into the sky. “Craig!” He hadn’t heard her over the wind. She turned back to Evan, rubbing his arm. “You’re okay...Breathe!” But he couldn’t. Evan hadn’t been able to breathe since. His chest felt crushed with fear. Brian didn’t let these things go unpunished. Evan had been trained to follow orders, to do everything he was told and now he had proven that he couldn’t even do that. 

Slowly, he sat up, leaning against his pillows. He pulled his blankets around him, his bed feeling empty without Smitty beside him. He shivered. Slowly, he dared reach for his phone. There was nothing. 

It was 3:45 am. 

Evan dropped his phone back onto his bedside table, leaning his head back against the wall. On the other side of the wall was Smitty. He wondered if he too was lying awake. 

The sound of voices made Evan jump, his eyes turning to the door.

“He wasn’t there, Craig…”

“That means nothing. You have no proof.” The hall light turned on. As if he were a child, Evan quickly laid back down, his back to the door as it opened. “Evan?” Craig gently placed a hand on Evan’s shoulder. “Sorry, did I wake you?” 

“Mmm…W-What is it?” 

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.” Craig said quietly. In the doorway was Lui, his eyes scanning Evan’s bedroom. Craig pulled the blanket closer to Evan, giving him a reassuring smile before leaving the room. The door closed. “He’s here. You have no proof.” Their voices faded away back down the stairs. 

Evan couldn’t be alone anymore. 

He threw the blanket off, quietly walking towards the door. He slipped into the hallway, glancing downstairs. The kitchen light was on. 

“Just because he’s here now doesn’t mean he will be tomorrow night. You should ask him where he goes.” 

“Evan doesn’t go anywhere unless it’s with us. I can't believe you, Lui. This is ridiculous.” 

“It wasn’t just because of the job that I came down here. I don’t want anything to happen to you guys, Craig. We’re a family. If Evan's gotten himself in over his head, I want to help him. I was the one who proved that Evan wasn’t lying about who killed Tyler, remember?” 

“You covered up your flower.” Craig’s voice was full of venom. “Don’t talk to me about family. I love Evan. I’d never hurt him and he’d never hurt us. Just...Take your cut of the money and go. If I catch you trying to talk to anyone else about this, I'll throw you out of here myself.” 

“Oh come on. You said he fainted on to a glass table? Who does that on accident, Craig?” 

“You weren’t there. He was out of it." 

"He was lying to you, Craig! He’s been lying to you this whole time." 

"Shut up! I’ve heard enough of this. You’re leaving tomorrow. I want you out of this fucking house!” 

Evan turned away from the stairs, the sound of Craig’s angry voice scaring him. He quietly knocked on Smitty’s door. He heard the springs of Smitty’s bed creak as he got up. The lamp turned on. The door opened. Smitty stiffened when he saw Evan. 

“I’m sorry…” Evan whispered. “I...I need you.” He needed Smitty, needed him to hold him, need him to kiss him and love him now because he feared that he wouldn’t be able to later. Evan’s shoulders shook with a sob. “I’m so sorry…” Smitty reached for Evan, pulling him into his room. Evan wrapped his arms around Smitty, pressing his face against his bare chest. He couldn’t stop sobbing, his body aching with every sob. Tears streamed down his face. “I’m so sorry...I’m so sorry…” Evan sobbed. “I need you…I need you…” Smitty slowly sat down the bed, gently pulling Evan onto his lap. Evan clung to him, his tears falling onto his shoulder. “You aren’t nothing to me...You are so much to me...Everything...I’m sorry…” 

“Shh…I forgive you. It's okay…” Smitty whispered, gently rocking Evan back and forth.

“No...It’s not…” Evan cried. Smitty gently kissed his forehead, stroking his soft black hair. 

“I’m sorry too, Evan. You’re right...All of us are kinda fucked up…” Smitty breathed. “When we get rid of Jonathan, I want you to go back to your mom…” Smitty said quietly. “I want you to live a normal life.” Evan clung tighter to Smitty. “Go to university...Get a career...Get a white picket fence...grow a garden.” 

“I’m not leaving you…” 

“You won’t be leaving me. I’ll still be here...I’ll keep you safe.” Smitty managed a smile. “Please...Will you let me take you home once we get rid of Jonathan?” Smitty asked, looking up at Evan. Tears fell from Smitty’s eyes. Evan knew that would never happen, that all that was waiting for him was Brian and if he was merciful, a gun. He dreaded to think of what Brian might do if he wasn’t merciful. 

For Smitty’s sake, Evan nodded. 

“You...You can take me home…” Evan managed to say. Smitty smiled, pulling Evan into a passionate kiss. Evan’s hands gently cupped Smitty’s face as Smitty slowly fell back onto the bed, pulling Evan on top of him. Evan was desperate, he needed this. His hands explored Smitty’s body. Evan could taste the salt of their tears. Evan slowly broke away to trail kisses down Smitty’s neck. He sat up slowly, kissing Smitty’s hand. He kissed the bouquet of soft buttercups on the inside of his wrist before slowly trailing more kisses down Smitty’s arm to his shoulders and chest. 

Evan covered him with kisses. 

 

The sun rose over the city, the sky a soft blue. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze. The beach became crowded. Surfers waited for the perfect wave. Flowers bloomed, soaking in the warm sunlight. The sand was already hot under Evan’s feet as he walked down to the water’s edge.

He checked his phone.

It was 12:15. 

Nothing from Brian.

Sighing, Evan set his towel down. He pulled off his t-shirt and kicked off his shoes, hiding his phone under his shirt. He glanced back at the house. No one had said anything when he had come down the stairs in his swim shorts with a towel. Smitty was still asleep. 

Evan took a deep breath before stepping into the cold water. He waded in till he was waist deep before diving in. The cold water surrounded him, blocking out the world on the surface. Evan closed his eyes. He wished that he could stay down here forever, wished that he'd never have to face the consequences of his mistake. 

Evan broke through the surface, gasping for air. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he floated on his back. He let the tide carry him for a few moments before he slowly turned, looking back at the beach. He could see someone walking from the patio. 

Lui. 

Evan let out an annoyed sigh before slipping back underwater. He didn’t want to talk to Lui anymore. Evan reluctantly made his way back to the sand. Lui tossed his towel to him. 

“Can we talk?” 

“About what?” 

“About yesterday. Kelly told me that one of her girls saw you having a panic attack as we were leaving. What happened to cause it?” Lui asked. Evan stared at him. 

“I-I...I can’t really explain these things...Since Tyler died they just happen.” Evan said. Water lapped around his ankles. “Yesterday was the first real job I’ve ever done and...and the violence of it all scared me. I don’t know how else to explain it to you.” 

“Do you think it was easy, yesterday?” Lui asked. Evan’s brow furrowed. “If you had more experience, would you say that it was easy?” Lui asked. Evan stared Lui. It was easy. It wasn’t supposed to be. Evan was supposed to have sabotaged it and he didn’t. 

“I don’t know...You guys were successful, isn’t that what matters? I just tagged along.” Lui watched Evan closely. “Do you think it was easy?” 

“I do think it was easy. We had planned for the worst and it never happened. The Bogeyman wasn’t there.” Lui said calmly. Evan held Lui’s gaze. 

“Isn’t that a good thing though? From what I’ve heard from you, he’s terrifying.” Evan’s grip tightened on his towel. 

“He is. But him not being there scares me even more. Does Brian not care, do you think, or does he have something planned? Should I be locking our doors and windows?” Lui asked, taking a step towards Evan who prayed that Lui wouldn’t see his hands trembling. 

“I-I...I don’t know. It couldn’t hurt to be safe and take precautions.” Evan said quietly. 

“What kind of precautions?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Would you recommend running away?” Lui asked. Evan stiffened.

“I would do what makes you feel safe,” Evan said after a moment, his dark eyes narrowing. Lui stared at Evan, his hands slowly curling into fists. 

“Are you threatening me?”

“No.” 

“Its bad to lie, Evan.” 

“I’m not lying.” 

“Right now or do you always tell the truth?”

“I always tell the truth.” Evan lied.

“Do you think I always tell the truth?” 

“Yes.”

“So when I tell you that I might know who Brian’s monster is, you would believe me?” 

“I would believe you if you claim to know who it is.” 

“Who do you think it is, Evan?”

“I don’t know...Maybe someone who had made a deal with Brian.” That wasn’t a lie. 

“I feel bad for them. You should never make a deal with Brian. Remember how Tyler used to always tell us that?”

“I remember.” 

“You’d never make a deal with Brian, right? You’d do what you’re told, right?” Lui asked. Evan felt sick. 

“R-Right.” Evan breathed. 

“You sound hesitant.”

“I’m not.” 

“If I told you to go inside and tell Craig and everyone about where you go at night, you’d do as you’re told?” Lui hissed. He stared down at Evan, his eyes dark with rage. Evan stared back, panic crashing over him. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Evan managed to say. “I have trouble sleeping a lot so I go for walks.” 

“Where?”

“Along the beach.” 

“Anyone else know about these walks?”

“Smitty.” 

“Oh, that’s right...You’re sleeping with him now aren’t you?” There was a cruel smile on Lui’s face. “Do you always tell the truth to him too?” The thought occurred to Evan that he could kill Lui right here, right now. He could grab him and force his head down under the waves and hold him there till the tide suffocated him. “Well? Do you always tell him the truth?” 

“Yes.” Evan grit his teeth. 

“He told me that you wanted to back out of the job at the last minute. Why?”

“I was scared.”

“Of what?”

“Brian.”

“Why are you scared of Brian?”

“Who isn’t scared of him? Who could be worse than him?”

“I can think of a few people.”

Evan couldn’t breathe. He wanted a wave to crash over him and drag him into the ocean, never to be seen again. 

A tourist’s camera flashed. 

“What do you want from me, Lui?”

“I want the truth.” 

“I’ve told you the truth.”

“You think you can keep running, don’t you? You’re running away from the monsters and didn’t even realise that in the process you became one.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I suppose being a monster has its advantages...No one wants to look the Bogeyman in the eye. Did you ever ask your mom to check for monsters under your bed, Evan?” 

“Lui.” 

“What?” 

“Leave me alone.” Evan hissed. Silence fell between them. Lui stared at Evan who stared back, not daring to look away and show Lui his fear. 

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning. The guys are throwing me a going away party. You should come with us.” Lui said after a moment before turning away and headed back across the sand towards the house. Evan waited until Lui was out of eyesight before collapsing to his knees, tears spilling from his eyes. He gasped for air, his hands trembling. Saltwater dripped from his hair. His trembling reflection in the water stared back up at him. 

“Do you think you are a monster?” Brian had asked the eighteen-year-old boy who had sand in his socks and tear-stained cheeks. 

“Y-Yes…” Evan sobbed. Brian sighed, his gaze drifting to the large window behind the boy and the neon lights of the city. “That man on the beach tonight...you made me execute him!” Evan wailed. “I can’t do this!” Evan remembered how it felt when Brian made him pull the trigger, remembered how he had collapsed to the sand, Brian falling back with him. 

Unable to calm down, Brian had taken him back to the hotel where he ended up finding Evan hiding in what he called the ‘back room’, a small room with a large window, used mostly for storage of drugs, weapons and sometimes, hostages. There was a lock on the door that could only be opened from the outside. Evan had sat with his back against a box, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Brian knelt in front of him, the neon lights of the city illuminating him. 

“Evan, look at me.” The boy did as he was told. “People are going to call you a monster. Everyone who has blood on their hands is a monster. But you can’t call yourself a monster. You’ll lose it if you do. You are my dangerous boy. I don't want to lose you.” Brian reached for Evan’s hand, holding it tightly. “Take a deep breath. Wipe away your tears. The next one won’t be as a bad, I promise.” 

Now, Evan closed his eyes tightly. 

It hadn’t gotten better. 

Waves gently rolled onto the sand.

 

It was 4:13 in the afternoon. 

Still nothing from Brian. 

Evan pressed his face against Smitty’s chest, closing his eyes. Smitty gently ran his fingers through his hair, the touch soothing him.

After finally pulling himself off the wet sand, Evan had grabbed his things and headed back inside where he had changed into sweatpants and one of Smitty’s t-shirts before climbing back into bed with him. Smitty hadn’t complained, only getting up to grab something to eat. Evan had prayed that he wouldn’t run into Lui. He said nothing about Lui when he came back, just jumped back into bed, making Evan laugh. 

“The guys want to go out tonight…” Smitty said softly, twirling a stand of Evan’s black hair around his finger. 

“I want to stay here…”

“I do too. But Lui’s leaving tomorrow, we should go at least for a few hours. We owe him that. Then after a few drinks, we can come back here. Does that sound okay?” Smitty smiled. Evan sighed. “Ev…” 

“I want to stay here...I want to stay in bed with you.” 

“I do too…”

“Then let's stay here,” Evan mumbled. 

“We have all the time in the world to stay in bed, Evan,” Smitty said softly. Evan felt like he was running out of time. “Lui’s gonna be gone tomorrow and who knows when we’ll see him again.” Smitty sighed. Evan hoped he’d never see him again. “Please, Evan?” Evan said nothing. Smitty slowly rolled on top of him, kissing his cheek. “It's an excuse to dress up...You could wear that new jacket with the flowers on it that Craig gave you...I really like you in that jacket...You look like a flower boy...My flower boy.” Smitty smiled. A smile found its way onto Evan’s lips. 

“I like that name…” Evan whispered. “Say it again.” He wanted to remember it, wanted to remember this moment. 

“My flower boy…” 

 

It was 3:32 am. 

Still nothing from Brian and Evan had lost count of how many shots he had taken. 

His chest felt warm. The neon club spun around him. The loud music rang in Evan’s ears. The crowd jumped and swayed, reminding him of the waves of the ocean. He found himself drowning in the wave, his eyes on Smitty. He looked so beautiful. Neon lights flashed. On the wall was a large neon red rose. The music made Evan forget about the knife he had hidden inside his shoe before leaving. The neon lights made him forget about Lui’s threat. 

The alcohol made him smile. 

The neon lights illuminated the flowers on Evan’s jacket. Roses, sunflowers, hyacinths, daisies, buttercups. 

Evan laughed, jumping up and down with the crowd around him. 

Three black Cadillacs came to a stop out front the beach house. Men in black got out of the cars, heading for the door. They kicked the door down. They found no one inside. 

Brian pushed open Evan’s bedroom door. The thin white curtain billowed in the wind. He picked up the owl mask on the dresser, looking it over with curiosity before putting it back down. He pulled the blanket up and knelt down, looking under the bed. He saw a decorated box which he grabbed, pulling it out. He didn’t find what he was looking for inside but he read Smitty’s love letter before shoving the box back under the bed. Hidden by the wall under the bed, Brian found what he was looking for. He grabbed the handle of the green military case. 

He opened it. 

His heart fell. 

Two boys stumbled into the club’s bathroom, their hands gripping each other tightly. A red neon light buzzed, filling the room with a rosy glow. The loud music was only faintly muffled by the graffiti-covered walls. Smitty picked Evan up and set him down on the counter, his back against the mirror. Evan kissed Smitty passionately, his hands finding their way under Smitty’s shirt. 

It was 4:05 am. 

“I want you…” Evan gasped. Smitty opened his eyes, looking down at Evan with a smile. The bathroom door began to open. They giggled, quickly hiding in one of the stalls. Smitty had barely locked the door before Evan dropped to his knees. 

 

4:48 am. 

A soft blue light washed over the streets as the sun slowly began to rise. Evan’s drunken laughter echoed off the walls of the alleyway by the entrance to the club. 

“I-I can call...I can do it…” Smitty laughed, struggling to call the right number for the cab company. 

“L-Lets just walk…” Evan reached for Smitty’s hand. “It’s not far…” Evan smiled. Smitty stuffed his phone back into his pocket and took Evan’s hand. They leaned against each other as they walked, the soft blue light surrounding them. The others had headed home before them, unable to find them. “Let's spend the day in bed…when...when we get home…” 

“That sounds good.” Smitty smiled. The yellow laces of his shoes were untied. Evan looked up at Smitty, drinking in his soft smile, his gentle eyes and messy hair. “What?” Evan’s chest felt warm, he felt light. 

He was in love. 

Evan’s grip tightened on Smitty’s hand. 

A black Cadillac turned the corner. The light caught Evan’s eye. He turned. His eyes widened. 

“Run!” Evan started running before Smitty could say anything. He looked back over his shoulder as Evan pulled him along, stumbling over his shoelaces. Smitty crashed to the pavement, nearly pulling Evan down with him. Evan helped him get up, his left hand reaching for the blade hidden in his shoe. Smitty’s pants had torn at the knee, blood staining his pant leg. 

The car came to a screeching halt in front of them. Smitty pushed Evan behind him. The car doors began to open as a second, then a third car turned the corner, coming towards them. 

“What the fuck is this?” Smitty breathed. Evan said nothing as Ryan and Arlan got out of the first car. Smitty’s eyes narrowed. “How's the eye, Ryan?” 

“It's great, asshole.” Ryan spat. Evan stared at Ryan, his hands trembling. Ryan glanced over his shoulder at the two other cars. Evan could see Anthony getting out of his car, a nervous look on his face. Evan’s grip on Smitty’s hand tightened. In his left hand was the knife, it’s silver and pink floral handle glinting in the dim light. 

Ryan suddenly lunged at Smitty who let go of Evan’s hand to grab Ryan, shoving him against the wall. 

Arlan hesitated before lunging to grab Evan who easily danced out of the way. Ryan hit Smitty hard and grabbed his collar while he was dazed, spinning to pin him against the wall where he hit him again. Evan started to run towards Ryan. He was suddenly grabbed by Scotty and another man who had been in the second car. Evan let out a scream of rage as they tackled him to the pavement. He swung the blade at the other man, stabbing it deep into his shoulder. The man screamed, blood spurting onto Evan. Scotty grabbed Evan’s wrist, trying to get the knife out of his hand. 

“I’ll break your fucking wrist, kid. Let go of the knife.” Scotty snarled. Evan elbowed him hard in the face, the sound of bone breaking echoing through the alley. As he fell back, Evan scrambled to his feet in time to block a blow from Arlan, and swing the knife towards him. The blade bit into his cheek, blood slowly dripping down his face. Arlan gritted his teeth and tackled Evan, throwing him down onto the hood of the car behind him. “Get that fucking knife away from him! Hold him down!” Scotty screamed. 

“Leave him alone!” Smitty shoved Ryan as hard as he could, sending him falling to the pavement. Smitty’s face was bruised and bloodied from Ryan’s punches. Smitty kicked Ryan hard in the stomach before jumping over him, grabbing at Arlan who spun, hitting Smitty. He kneed him in the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. Evan watched with wide eyes as Smitty fell to the pavement, struggling to breathe. Before Evan could kick Scotty off, Ryan had managed to get up, pulling a gun from his jacket. 

He aimed it at Smitty’s head. 

Evan froze. 

Arlan turned to help Scotty keep Evan pinned down on the hood of the car. Scotty yanked the knife from Evan’s hand. 

“Not so dangerous now are you?” Ryan taunted. Smitty looked up at the gun with wide eyes. His gaze turned to Evan, his eyes wide with confusion and fear. 

“P-Please…” Evan stammered. “Please...Don’t shoot him...Please.” 

“What was that? Shoot him?” Ryan knelt down, pressing the end of the barrel against Smitty's head. Smitty closed his eyes tightly. Evan screamed, fighting against Scotty and Arlan. 

“No! No! Don’t! Please!” Evan screamed. 

“Do it? Okay.” Ryan pulled the trigger. 

"No!" The sound of a gunshot echoed through the ally. Evan closed his eyes tightly, tears falling down his cheeks. Ryan laughed. "Relax." Evan slowly opened his eyes. 

It had been a blank. 

Smitty heaved for air, unable to move from where he lay on the pavement. He slowly dared to open his eyes, looking at Evan with terror. “Get him in the fucking car,” Ryan said. He kicked Smitty hard in the back, getting a cry of pain from him. “That’s for fucking up my eye.” Scotty and Arlan dragged Evan off the hood of the car. Evan screamed and fought against them but it was no use. 

“Smitty! Smitty!” Evan screamed. He looked back at Smitty, seeing him struggling to get up. 

“Let him go! What are you doing? Why are you taking him?” Smitty cried. Ryan answered him with another kick. Scotty and Arlan dragged Evan to Anthony’s car. Anthony could only watch, his eyes filled with angry tears. Evan managed to hit Scotty as they struggled to get him into the car. Evan pulled himself from them, starting to run back to Smitty. 

"Get him!" Scotty yelled. Ryan grabbed him, slamming his gun against Evan's head. Evan collapsed to the pavement, the world blurring into darkness. 

"Evan!" 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to get pretty intense now! Thank you guys so much for the support! It means the world! <3

A pink neon light buzzed. The sounds of washing machines surrounded Evan. In his hands was a chocolate bar that he didn’t want to eat. 

“Do you think he knew?” Evan had whispered. The tall man leaning against the washing machine he sat on looked down at him. Tyler blinked, confused. 

“What?” 

“Do you think that man that Ryan killed...had any idea that he was going to die today? He probably spent the day doing things as usual...But do you think he had any idea that every second was ticking closer and closer to when we would appear in his rearview mirror with that Cadillac behind us?” Evan turned his head slowly to look back at Tyler. Tyler's icy blue eyes were locked on the seventeen-year-old. “Did something tell him not to take that exit but he did anyways? You say that you encounter death all the time...don’t you wonder how long your countdown is? Will you know it when it gets down to the seconds?” Tyler had looked disturbed. The pink neon light continued to buzz.

An ambulance’s wail reached Evan’s ears. 

The pink light faded away, taking Tyler with it. 

Evan slowly opened his eyes. His head hurt. 

“Coming back to us now are you?” Brian asked. Evan slowly turned his head to look at Brian who sat beside him in the backseat of the Cadillac, a flask in his hand. Evan blinked. They were pulled over somewhere that Evan didn’t recognize. “Anthony wait outside,” Brian ordered. Anthony didn’t move. “Anthony.” Brian hissed. Anthony looked back at Evan for a moment before taking his keys out the ignition and got out, the little panda keychain on his keys catching Evan’s attention. The door slammed shut. 

A dim, early morning light filled the car. 

“B-Brian…” Evan stammered. “I can explain. Please, let me explain…” 

“You had a bunch of superhero stuff growing up, didn’t you?” Brian asked, taking a swig from his flask. Evan froze. “You had superheroes on your curtains, your pillowcase, figures on your shelf, comics hidden in your textbooks.”

“How...How do you know that?” Evan whispered.

“You grew up with good versus evil, didn’t you? You grew up thinking that good will always prevail. That if you are selfless, kind and brave, you will always be good...Right?” 

“I-I guess…”

“Why did you like them so much?” Brian asked. He watched Evan, his silver watch glinting in the light. Evan looked down, struggling to think. He could feel dried blood in his hair. 

“I-I...I guess I liked them so much because I was the furthest thing from a hero...And I wanted to be one.” Evan managed to say. “I was too anxious to do anything. Too nervous to take a risk...Too nervous to even try making friends at school. I wanted to be a hero because everyone wants to be friends with a hero…” Evan kept his eyes down. Brian sighed. 

“I’m sorry that there isn’t a clear good and evil in this world for you, Evan. There are only things we think are the right thing to do...And the things that we think are the wrong thing to do. And all of that depends on who you are. You still think of Tyler as a hero, don’t you? Even after I’ve told you what he did. How he murdered for his own gain...You still love him, don’t you?” 

“He saved me…” 

“And proceeded to fill your head with the idea of him and his family as good people, right?” 

“I-I…” 

“He did. And now that he’s dead that idea is still in your head, isn’t it? There is nothing I can do to pull it out, can I? You’re just always going to think that I’m the bad guy, that whatever I tell you to do is bad and that whatever Craig and Smitty tell you to do is good because they are the good guys? Right?” Brian’s tone slowly sharpened with every word. Evan stayed silent. “Answer me.” 

“Right…” Evan breathed. 

“Fucking brainwashed, that's what you are. Wake up, Evan! Your ‘family’ killed a bunch of good men for what? Money and drugs! Kelly and her girls steal from innocent people! They just break into their homes, rob them of their valuables and their sense of security and then they go play dress up! And you! Don’t fucking get me started on you, Evan! Fucking self-righteous, ‘do the right thing’, serial killer. You think you are on some grand quest to defeat the monster that is Jonathan but you are blind to how much of a monster you are! You are a compulsive liar and a murderer! How does it feel, hero?” Brian yelled. Evan’s shoulders trembled with a sob. “Tell me I’m right.” Brian snarled. “Tell me!”

“You’re right…” Evan sobbed. Brian leaned back in his seat, taking another sip from his strong drink. He held the flask out to Evan who took it with a trembling hand. The strong alcohol stung his throat. He coughed, handing it back to Brian. 

“I’m not mad at you for those things. I’m mad at you for not realizing those things. It's not all flowers and rainbows, Evan. Its blood...That's all it is.” Brian sighed. “I appreciate how much you try though, Evan. You try so hard to make it not just blood. You saw something beautiful in all of us...Well...Almost all of us. You turned us all into flowers. And that's why this is so hard for me, Evan.” Brian picked up the green case, setting it down between them on the seat. “Why didn’t you do what you were told?” 

“I-I...I panicked…”

“You were trained to not panic in these situations, Evan.” Brian reminded him. Evan struggled for words. 

“B-Brian I’m sorry...It won’t happen again.” 

“Why didn’t you do it, Evan?” Brian repeated. 

“I’m sorry!” 

“Tell me, Evan!” 

“I-I…” 

“Were you scared you would kill someone in your ‘family’?” Brian asked softly. Slowly, Evan nodded. “Were you scared someone would see you do it?” Evan nodded. “Were you not scared of what I would do if you didn’t throw it?” 

“I-I wasn’t thinking…” Evan breathed. 

“Your mother says that that is all you do; think.” Evan’s eyes widened. 

“You...You talked to my mom?” 

“Yes. I stopped by yesterday. She gave me some tea and we talked about you. She let me glance into your room and see the work you’ve done for her garden. She misses you.” Brian explained. Evan felt like he was going to be sick. “I told her that you went missing again two days ago and that I was helping to look for you. Of course, I told her that I was Craig because I heard that he’s apparently never met your mom.” 

“You talked to my mom... You were in my room...” 

“You know what else she told me? She said that she worries so much about you and that now that you are gone a second time, you might never come home.” Brian added. “I want you to live a good life...But I don’t know if I can let you do that after what you’ve done, Evan. I want to do what I think is the right thing to do...But in this city, I have a reputation to keep up. I have a business to maintain. And when one of my employees fucks up this bad, I have to do something.” 

“Brian...Please. I’ll do anything. Please.” Evan winced every time that word came out of his mouth. “I-I...It won’t happen again. I promise.” Brian turned away from Evan, fidgeting with his watch. 

“Are you scared of me, Evan?” 

“I-I...Sometimes…” 

“I’m sorry. Perhaps I just pushed you too hard...Maybe this is my fault.” Brian sighed. Evan shook his head. 

“I-It’s not. I owe you everything…” Evan breathed. 

“For what?”

“For...For helping me become the dangerous boy you…and I always hoped I’d become.” Evan stammered.

“That's right...You are my dangerous boy.” Brian smiled sadly.

“Brian...I can fix it...I can...I can do what I’m told. Please...I won’t let you down again. I promise.” Evan hated how desperate he sounded. “Brian…” He had gone silent, his eyes on the green case. Evan’s hands shook. A car passed by, breaking the silence for only a few seconds before it crashed back over them. A tear fell down Evan's face, landing on his leather sleeve, the flowers on his jacket trembling with each shaking breath. Brian looked away from the case, his eyes on the street outside. The street lamps flickered off. Evan opened his mouth to say ‘please’ again but he stopped himself. Brian hated that word. Brian loosened his tie. He sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. 

“I don’t know what to do with you…” Brian breathed. “I can’t fucking think with you staring at me like that.” Brian tapped on the window, getting Anthony’s attention. Anthony got back into the car, glancing at Brian. “Take us home.” Brian sighed. Anthony nodded, starting the car. The two other cars followed close behind. “What would you do, Anthony?” Brian asked. Evan kept his eyes on the window, watching the buildings and palm trees pass by, their soft blue reflections cast on to the glass. “Would you have Evan killed for not doing what he’s told? Or would you have someone he loves killed?” 

“I-I...I don’t know…” Anthony’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “I wouldn’t want to kill him...But he has to learn his lesson…” He sounded hesitant to say those words. “And if he’s dead...He won’t learn anything. I mean...It’s just...You already accepted that you were going to lose this job...Is it really a big deal? Does someone really have to die over this?” 

“That’s not what I’m upset about, Anthony.” 

“I know...I just don’t think someone has to die over this. Or be hurt over this, you know. Just...Just let me take Evan home. Smitty’s probably already put the puzzle together with what happened tonight. Isn’t them finding out his secret punishment enough?” Anthony’s words were quick and filled with nervousness. Evan’s hands curled into fists. He was right. Smitty had probably figured it out. If he hadn’t, Lui would and he would tell all of them. Evan fought back a sob. 

“I wish it was,” Brian said quietly. 

A flash of red caught Anthony’s eye. 

He suddenly stepped on the break, sending Evan and Brian falling against the seat in front of them. Whiskey spilt from Brian’s flask onto his suit. “The fuck was what?” Brian snarled. Evan sat up, turning to look through the back window. The sound of gunshots rang through the early morning air. Evan’s eyes widened as a bright red Ferrari suddenly sped past, it’s engine roaring. “Lose them, Anthony!” Brian yelled as Ryan’s car sped past. Anthony nodded, the car suddenly speeding up to follow Ryan. Evan fell back against his seat, his wide eyes on the road behind him. The third Cadillac followed behind them. Bright headlights illuminated the road. The white Porsche sped up towards the third Cadillac. Evan could hear gunshots. The Cadillac suddenly turned the corner, the Porsche disappearing from view. 

A black and yellow Charger sped towards them at the next intersection, almost hitting Ryan’s car. Evan could see Daithi in the front passenger seat, a gun in his hand. He pulled the trigger, bullets ricocheting off the Cadillac. The Charger sped in front of it, Daithi shooting back at the black car. Up ahead was a ramp to the highway, the metal railing glinting in the morning light. Brian gripped the back of Anthony’s seat, watching as Ryan’s car suddenly sped up. Evan turned back, looking for Smitty’s car. 

Ryan’s car hit the back of Marcel’s Charger, sending it hurtling towards the railing. 

The front of the car caught the railing at a high speed. 

Evan looked back in time to see Cadillac hit the Charger again, the force sending the black car flipping across the road. 

Glass and metal flew through the air.

Evan’s hands went to his mouth to stop his scream of horror. Ryan’s car sped past the wreckage. 

Gasoline spilt onto the road. 

Evan stared at the car as the Cadillac sped past. He could see Marcel struggling to get out. Evan suddenly grabbed the door handle. He shoved the door open. “Evan!” Brian reached for him. Evan slipped from his grip, throwing himself out of the moving car. He hit the pavement hard, rolling several feet. The pavement tore open his knee and scraped his cheek. He came to a stop by the side of the road. Evan gasped in pain, slowly rolling onto his side to see the wrecked car. Anthony’s Cadillac came to a screeching halt. Evan managed to get to his feet, starting to run towards the car. 

“Marcel! Daithi!” Evan screamed. The third Cadillac suddenly veered in front of Evan, nearly hitting him as he stumbled back. 

“Jesus Christ, kid!” Scotty yelled as he got out of the car. “You got a death wish?” Evan stumbled, trying to get away from Scotty. His right leg felt like it was burning. He looked back, seeing Ryan’s car coming back towards them. Brian had gotten out of Anthony’s car, the green case in his hand. Evan managed to get around Scotty’s car, limping towards Marcel’s car. Scotty suddenly grabbed him, pulling him back. 

“No! No!” Evan screamed as he fell to the pavement. The smell of motor oil and gasoline filled the air. “Marcel!” 

“Scotty…” Evan turned, looking up at Brian as he approached them. Anthony wasn’t far behind. He could see Ryan and Arlan getting out of their car, watching from a distance. Evan felt sick. Where were Craig and Smitty? “Did you ever teach Evan how to throw a grenade?” Brian asked, setting the case down on the hood of the car. Scotty shook his head. 

“I thought that was pretty common knowledge. It’s like throwing a baseball.” 

“Apparently it’s not common knowledge,” Brian said, taking the grenade out of the case. Evan’s eyes widened. “Perhaps I should show you, Evan, how to throw a grenade.” Evan glanced at Marcel’s car, tears of horror welling up in his eyes. 

“B-Brian! No! Please!” The white Porsche suddenly turned the corner, the red Ferrari close behind. They must have regrouped when they realized that Marcel wasn’t with them anymore. “Brian!” He pulled the pin. Evan pushed himself to his feet, lunging towards Brian as he threw the grenade towards the wrecked charger. Evan hit Brian hard, feeling his jaw crack. Brian snarled in pain, his furious gaze on Evan. Brian slapped Evan, sending him falling to the pavement. 

The grenade exploded. 

Evan put his arms over his head, waves of heat rolling over them. The two sports cars came to a sudden halt, their driver’s watching in horror. 

Flames consumed the Charger. 

Evan slowly lowered his arms, tears streaming down his scrapped and bloody face. “N-No...No…” Evan sobbed. “No…” Hands hauled Evan to his feet. “No...No…” Through the smoke and flames, Evan saw the Porsche's door open. 

Smitty got out, his gun raised at Brian. 

“Get him in the fucking car,” Brian yelled at Scotty. A bullet flew past, hitting the roof of Scotty’s Cadillac. Scotty pulled open the back door of his car, shoving Evan inside, ignoring his screams. The door slammed. Evan looked back at Smitty as Scotty got back into the car, quickly stepping on the gas. Gunshots rang through the morning air. Evan kept his eyes on Smitty till the Cadillac turned the corner, the burning car and his family disappearing from view. Evan pressed his face against the leather seat, closing his tear-filled eyes tightly. 

“No...No…” Evan sobbed quietly as a column of smoke rose into the bright, blue morning sky. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited about this chapter!! I will warn you it's a bit intense and bloody.   
> Thank you guys so much for your support!   
> I hope you enjoy the chapter!

The streets of Los Angeles were starting to get busy as the sun rose higher into the sky. Shops opened their doors, tourists ventured out for the day while locals went about theirs, going to work, dropping off their kids at school. One of those streets were closed as police investigated a burnt car with a body inside. 

The three black Cadillacs pulled into the underground parking lot of the hotel. Scotty got out of his car and pulled open the door for Evan who didn’t move. 

“Come on.” Scotty snapped. Still, Evan didn’t move. Brian got out of Anthony’s car as Scotty grabbed Evan, dragging him out of the car. Evan let out a cry, struggling against Scotty who dropped him to the hard cement floor. 

“Scotty,” Anthony yelled. “Seriously?” 

“He’s fighting me.” Scotty’s voice was filled with annoyance. Evan said nothing, his eyes on the floor. Brian said nothing as he walked past, heading towards the door, Ryan and Arlan close behind. Anthony sighed, helping Evan to his feet. 

“Anthony...My head hurts…” Evan whispered as he slowly walked with Anthony towards the door to the lobby. He limped painfully, his jeans ripped from the pavement. 

“I’ll get you some ice…” Anthony glared at the back of Ryan’s head. “He shouldn’t have hit you so hard.” 

“I-I...deserved it…” 

“Don’t say that. You don’t deserve it. No one deserves to be hurt over this.” Anthony said. Evan opened his mouth to protest but Anthony shushed him. They entered the hotel, silently waiting for the elevator. Evan felt sick as he got into the small elevator, standing behind Brian who didn’t look back at him, didn’t say a word to him. Evan could do nothing but follow him, his muscles aching with every step. 

“So damn tired…” Brian muttered as they stepped inside the top floor suite. “Put him in the back room.” Fear seized Evan’s chest. 

“No! No! Brian! Please!” Evan cried desperately. “I don’t want to go to the back room…” 

“Then you should have done what you were told.” Brian hissed. Ryan grabbed Evan, pulling him away from Anthony and down the hall. 

“No! Brian!” Evan screamed, fighting against Ryan. “Brian!” Evan was thrown into the room at the end of the hall, colliding into a heavy box. He winced in pain, managing to pull himself back and run towards the door as it closed. He heard the door lock. “Brian please! Please! I’m so sorry!” Evan hit the door, tears streaming down his face. “Brian! Brian! I’m so sorry! Please! Don’t leave me in here! Don’t leave me!” His hands hurt but he didn’t stop hitting the door. “Don’t hurt anyone else...Please! Please! Brian!” 

Anthony stood on the other side of the door, a pained expression on his face. Slowly, Anthony sat down on the floor across from the door. He wouldn’t dare move from this spot, his gaze nervously glancing down the hall to the living room.

Evan heaved for air, leaning his forehead against the door. He hated how pathetic he felt. He hadn’t been able to save Marcel and Daithi. He shouldn’t have run back to them, shouldn’t have endangered them like that.

He had just wanted to help.

He hated how there was nothing he could do but pathetically beg Brian for mercy. 

Evan slowly turned away from the door, taking in the room. There was nothing but boxes and cases full of weapons. He remembered hiding in here once before, but then it had been at night when he didn't want to be found. 

Now, it was a prison cell. 

Slowly, Evan climbed over the boxes towards the window. He pressed his hand against the glass, taking in the city around around him. The morning sun was already beginning to uncomfortably heat up the room. 

Evan put his hands over his face, letting out a scream of anger and pain as he slowly fell to his knees in front of the window. “Fuck!” He yelled, his hands pulling at his black hair. “Fuck!” Evan sobbed uncontrollably. He couldn’t stop.

His chest hurt. His head hurt. His leg hurt. 

Everything hurt. 

He wanted Smitty. He wanted him to hold him tightly and never let go. Evan gripped his right hand with his left hand, putting pressure on his hand. He winced but didn’t stop. He wanted Craig to clean his cuts, wanted Marcel to make him laugh, wanted Daithi and Brock to encourage him that it’d be okay. 

He wanted Tyler. 

Evan closed his eyes struggling to calm his sobs. Silence filled the small room. Evan slowly let go of his right hand, his hands dropping to his sides. His dark eyes opened, his gaze on the window and the city beyond.

He’d give anything to be someone else, to be somewhere else. 

 

The sun slowly began to set. Shadows slithered across the floor and walls. The heat and exhaustion had caught up to Evan, sending him into a deep sleep where he lay on the floor, hidden from the sun behind boxes.

Evan dreamed of a half-open gate and a bright blue pool surrounded with red flowers. His gauze-wrapped hand reached for the gate, slowly pulling it open the rest of the way. Evan stepped towards the edge of the pool, looking down at the bright blue water. He watched it turn red. The red flowers danced in the warm breeze. Palm trees swayed. Behind Evan, in the driveway, was a black and white Corvette. The water had become as red as his leather jacket. Evan stared down at the bloody water. The wind played with his black hair. Evan took a step forward, letting himself fall into the pool. 

Evan woke with a start. He looked around the small room, his fear and pain slowly coming back to him. Orange light from the city illuminated the room; the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon a while ago. He winced, slowly sitting up. 

Leaning his head back against the wall, he watched the cars on the street below, wondering where Smitty was. He had no idea where his phone was, had no idea if Smitty was trying to reach him. Would they still be looking for him? A part of Evan doubted it. He imagined Lui telling them everything he knew, imagined Craig trying to fight him on it only to go silent eventually, unable to say anything more. Evan felt like he was going to cry again. He felt so horrible. Craig didn’t deserve this. After everything he had done and been through, he didn’t deserve the pain Evan had inflicted on them. Maybe it would be better for all of them if Brian killed him. Maybe they would just forget him. He wanted them to forget about him. As much as it hurt him, he knew it’d be better for them if they just forgot. 

If only he hadn’t climbed that fence. 

“Four, one, eight, two, five…” Evan whispered. “Four, one, eight, two, five.” 

“I-I’m sorry, Evan…” Adam had sighed, his eyes on the cement river bank.

“For what?” 

“F-For what I-I’ve brought you into...I-It won’t be k-kind to you…”

Now, Evan put his hands over his face. Sweat dripped down his neck. If only it were just about the code. He could defend not telling anyone the code. He couldn’t defend what he had done for Brian. He could try saying that it was all to find Jonathan but there were too many others who weren’t close at all to Jonathan and their blood was on Evan’s hands. He could think of nothing to say that would get him out of this. 

“The only way out is a bullet to your head!” Smitty had yelled. Tears fell from Evan’s eyes. If Brian didn’t kill him, Smitty and the others would for lying to him, for being the Bogeyman. 

On the roof of the fourth floor, the water in the large pool lapped against the cement sides. White lights at the bottom turned the water a neon blue colour. 

The door unlocked. 

Evan jumped, turning his head to look at the door. He watched it open. Brian stepped inside. There was a cup of water in his hand. He said nothing as he closed the door, slowly walking around the boxes towards Evan. He sat down on the floor beside Evan, his eyes on the cup in his hand. Evan stared at it. His throat felt dry. 

“Do you hate me, Evan?” Brian asked. Evan looked up at him. 

“You killed Marcel and Daithi…” 

“Is that a yes?” Brian asked, his grip on the glass tightening. Evan blinked, unsure of what to say. He was angry at Brian for what he had done, but at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to say yes. 

“I-I’m more scared of you...You don’t care about what the consequences of your actions might be...You take what is yours.” Evan’s gaze lowered to the floor. “I-I don’t want to let you down.” 

“Are you lying to me?” Brian asked sharply. Evan looked up at him, his hands trembling. 

“I have nothing left to lose but my life. Why would I lie to you?” 

Brian handed the cup of water to Evan who hesitantly drank it. He finished it quickly, water dribbling down his chin. 

“You have Smitty and the others left to lose. You have your mom. Don’t say you have nothing.” Brian said quietly. “I don’t want to involve them in this, Evan. But I can’t trust you to not let them cloud your head again.” Brian sighed. “I keep going back and forth with what to do with you. I don’t want you to hate me if I kill Smitty too but I don’t want you to think that you can get away with not doing what you’re told again.” 

“Is killing Marcel and Daithi not enough to you?” Evan cried. 

“Don’t yell at me, Evan.” 

“I told you! It won’t happen again! I promise! I’ll do what I’m told! I swear! Just don’t hurt anyone else! Please!” Evan cringed when he said that word. 

“What did I just tell you?” Brian hissed. Evan looked away, his hands curling into fists. 

“You told me to not yell at you.” 

“And what did you just do?” 

“Yell at you.” 

“Evan…” Brian sighed. “I feel like I can’t trust you to listen to me anymore. And that makes you useless to me.” Evan froze. “Do you remember what I told you after Jonathan shot Tyler?” 

“You said...You said that you would protect me…”

“Yes and that I would continue to protect you...unless you became unwanted, useless and untrustworthy.” Brian sighed. “I hate saying those things but its the truth, Evan. I can’t spend my time protecting someone who I can’t trust.” 

“What have you been protecting me from? I haven’t seen Jonathan in years! And those kids he’s been going after...He doesn’t seem to be wanting to go after me! What do you mean, protecting me?” Evan stammered. Brian reached into his suit jacket, taking out a few photos. He held them out to Evan. “What are these?”

“Look at them,” Brian said sharply. Hesitantly, Evan took the photos. He stared down at the first one, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Brian...What is this?” Evan’s chest tightened. The photo was of him, his back to the camera as he walked down the street towards home, the early morning light casting him in a blue glow. “B-Brian? What are these?” Evan stammered as he flipped through the photos. He was in all of them, completely unaware that someone was taking a picture of him. The last photo was of him and Smitty on the beach on Evan’s birthday. He stared at the photo, his hands shaking. “Brian?” 

“I have been protecting you, Evan. I’ve been protecting you from Jonathan who thinks that just because he can’t go near you doesn’t mean he can’t have fun.” Brian sighed. Evan felt like he was going to be sick. “I thought I trained you to be more aware of your surroundings.”

“How long? How long has he been...stalking me?” 

“I’d say over a year now. These are only a small fraction of the photos he has.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“It would have frightened you. You wouldn’t have done what you were told.” Brian said simply. Evan wanted to rip apart the photos but fear kept him paralyzed. 

“So you...you let him stalk me?” 

“What did I tell you about yelling at me?” Brian snapped. He took a deep breath. “I told him not to hurt you. Not to touch you, speak to you, or be within a hundred feet of you.” 

“You’ve been lying to me this whole time...you said he didn’t know where he was! You said you were trying to look for him! That was your side of this whole fucking deal! You fucking liar! You used me!” Evan cried, tears spilling down his face. “You used me!” Brian suddenly grabbed Evan, pulling him into a hug. The photos dropped from Evan's hand. He screamed, hitting Brian but he wouldn’t let go. Brian cupped the back of his head, holding him tightly. Evan pressed his face against Brian’s shoulder, heaving for air. “You used me…” 

“My dangerous boy...Shhh.You knew that all along and yet you stayed because you are a good boy who always does what he is told.” Brian said softly. Evan tried to hit Brian again. Brian grabbed his wrist with his right hand, his grip hurting Evan. “But I can’t trust you anymore to be my boy...That makes you dangerous, plain and simple. And I can’t let you get away if you are a threat to me, Evan.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself. “I don’t want to do this, Evan…I don’t want to decide if you live or die...I care about you, I really do…” 

“B-Brian…” Evan sobbed against his shoulder. 

“I don’t want to do this...I don’t want to decide.” Brian’s voice wobbled. “So I’ll let him decide.” Brian suddenly broke away from the one-sided embrace. He stood up, leaving Evan to watch in horror as he pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolling for a moment through his contacts. He put the phone to his ear. 

“Brian...Brian, please. Brian please!” Evan screamed. He shrunk back against the wall, fear seizing his chest. He closed his eyes tightly, struggling to breathe.

The gate stood half open. 

The door handle turned. 

“Jonathan?” Brian glanced down at Evan, struggling to keep his voice steady. “It’s about Evan. No, I know you already know...I want you to come get him. Yes, I’m serious.” The door opened, light from the hallway spilling into the room. Evan slowly opened his eyes, seeing Anthony. “Come get him tonight,” Brian said, turning to look at the open door. 

Brian’s eyes widened. 

Anthony raised the heavy whiskey decanter in his hand over his head. 

“Fuck you.” Anthony smashed the heavy crystal bottle onto Brian’s head. Glass shards flew through the room. Brian dropped the floor, his phone landing a few feet away from him. Anthony stomped on the phone, breaking it. Evan stared with wide eyes. “Fuck that felt so good!”

“What...What did...What did you just do?” Evan stammered. 

“I’m getting you out of here. Come on.” Anthony stepped over Brian, gently helping Evan get to his feet. “Don’t forget your jacket.” Evan nodded, picking up his leather jacket, the flowers glinting in the dim light as he pulled it on. “Come on. We gotta go now before Ryan finds him.” Anthony said, making his way to the door. Evan paused, looking down at Brian who lay unconscious on the floor, blood soaking his blonde hair. 

“Bye Brian…” Evan whispered before hurrying out of the room. 

“Here…” Anthony held a silver knife out to Evan. “You’ll need it. The rest of your stuff got thrown with your bike. Brian’s planned to have it all tossed into the ocean.” Anthony explained as they made their way towards the door. 

“What the fuck are you doing? Where’s Brian?” Scotty yelled. Anthony responded by punching him in the face, sending him falling against the wall. Anthony pulled open the front door, him and Evan sprinting down the hall to the stairs. “Ryan!” Scotty yelled. Anthony pulled the fire alarm before pushing open the heavy door to the stairs. They hurried down the cement stairs, the alarm blaring in Evan’s ears. 

“You’re dead, Anthony!” Ryan screamed.

As they reached the tenth floor, a sudden force hit Evan in the back, sending him colliding against the cement wall. He turned in time to dodge a punch from Ryan. He swung the silver blade at Ryan, stabbing it into his shoulder before yanking it out quickly, blood splattering onto the wall. Ryan screamed in anger, shoving Evan towards the next flight of stairs down. Evan managed to stop his fail, gripping the railing tightly. As Ryan lunged at him, Evan dodged out of the way, sprinting down the stairs. Ryan grabbed him, slamming him against the door to the ninth floor. Evan spun hitting Ryan hard with his elbow. 

Letting out a scream of rage, Evan kicked Ryan’s kneecap as hard as he could, sending him falling back against the wall. “Fuck!” Ryan yelled. He managed to lung at Evan, pinning him against the wall where he kneed him hard in the ribs. Evan gasped in pain. He punched Ryan, shoving him back towards the stairs that continued down. Ryan staggered back, trying to regain his balance but he wasn’t fast enough. Evan kicked Ryan hard in the chest, sending him falling down the stairs. 

“That's for threatening to kill Smitty, asshole.” Gasping in pain, Evan turned, pulling open the door to the ninth floor. He stumbled out into chaos, people frantically trying to get out of the hotel. The alarm wailed. Evan couldn’t find Anthony. 

Evan was suddenly tackled to the carpet, the force knocking the air from his tired lungs. The knife fell from his hand. He turned his head, unable to block Ryan’s punch. Blood spilt from Evan’s nose. 

He could taste it. 

Pushing himself off the floor, Evan’s elbow collided with Ryan’s head. Evan managed to roll onto his back, grabbing Ryan’s wrists before he could wrap his hands around his throat. Evan threw him off, rolling on top of him to punch him repeatedly before Ryan was able to get him off. Blood covered Evan’s knuckles. Evan managed to grab his fallen knife, rolling in time to swing it at Ryan who caught it in his hand. Evan’s eyes widened. Blood oozed from Ryan’s hand. He yanked the knife from Evan’s hand, flipping it in his hand. Evan kneed him in the groin, rolling out of the way of the knife as Ryan brought it down on him. 

One of the hotel room doors opened, a woman screaming when she saw the two bloody men. The alarm almost drowned her out. Evan scrambled to his feet, sprinting to the door before it closed, hoping to hide from Ryan until Anthony found him. He grabbed the door, the woman running down the hall away from him. He stepped inside, hoping it to slam it on Ryan who lunged towards him.

“Evan?” Anthony’s voice could barely be heard. Anthony sprinted down the hallway towards the closing door. Ryan punched Evan, his head throbbing with pain. Ryan punched Evan again and again, sending him falling towards the glass sliding door. Ryan grabbed Evan, throwing him through the glass door. Shards of glass rained down around them. Evan gasped in pain, struggling to get to his feet. Ryan lunged towards to him. Evan grabbed a vase of plastic red roses that was on the small table on the balcony. “Evan!” Anthony yelled. Ryan shoved Evan against the railing. Five floors below was the pool and the unforgiving cement pool deck. One of the roses fell from the vase on Evan’s hand to the pool deck below. Ryan glanced back at Anthony. Before Evan could react, Ryan grabbed Evan’s leg, throwing Evan off balance. 

Ryan shoved Evan over the railing. 

Evan’s eyes went wide. 

Roses fell through the air with him. 

Neon lights flashed past him. 

Above him was the dark night sky, stained orange with the lights of the city. 

He heard a scream echoing in his ears. He realised it was himself screaming as he flailed his arms out, desperate to grab onto anything.

Evan landed in the pool, just inches from the edge. 

The vase shattered on the pool deck.

Roses landed in the water around him. 

“Evan!” Anthony screamed. He turned away from Ryan, sprinting towards the door. 

“Brian’s going to have you killed! You’re a dead man!” Ryan yelled after him before suddenly collapsing to his knees among the glass, the pain catching up to him. Anthony ran down the hall towards the stairs, pushing past confused and frantic hotel guests. He burst out onto the fourth floor, the smell of chlorine filling the air. He didn’t stop running until he had made it outside, nearly slipping on the pool deck. 

“Evan!” Anthony yelled. 

“I-I’m here…” Evan gasped, struggling to keep his head above the water. Evan reached desperately for Anthony who pulled him out of the blood. 

“We’re almost out. You can do it. Come on.” Anthony wrapped his arm around Evan who leaned against him heavily. They made their way back inside to the stairs. They could hear yelling from Scotty and Arlan up above, their voices urging them to move faster. 

Evan had never felt more relieved than when he saw Anthony’s Cadillac. Anthony helped him into the front passenger seat before getting in and started the car. The black Cadillac sped out of the garage. As the hotel disappeared in the rearview mirror, Evan started to cry. Blood and pool water dripped from his clothes, his hair plastered to his head. 

“A-Anthony…” Evan cried. “Jonathan’s gonna…He’s gonna find me…” 

“No, he’s not. I’m gonna take you to your bike and you’re gonna drive until you are far, far away from here. Don’t ever come back to California.” 

“But...But what about my mom? And Smitty?”

“I’ll do what I can to help them. You staying here will only put them in more danger. You have to get out of here, Evan.” 

“No. I can’t leave them! I can’t leave you!” Evan sobbed. Anthony sighed.

“You have to. You have to leave.” Anthony said sternly. The car sped up when they reached the highway. “We don’t have a lot of time. They’ll know where we’re going.” 

“Anthony…”

“So just get on your bike and don’t look back, okay? Don’t look back...Just go.” 

“Don’t look back?” 

“Please...Can you do that for me, Evan? Don’t look back, okay?” Anthony pleaded. Evan said nothing, his eyes on the road ahead of them. He didn’t want to think about what Anthony was asking him to do. Silence fell over them. 

It wasn’t long before they reached Long Beach, following the signs towards the port. They turned off the highway, the looping road making Evan feel sick. Anthony turned into a parking lot out front a warehouse, filled mostly with trucks. The came to a stop by the edge of the dock. Anthony got out, followed by Evan who hesitated before opening the door and getting out. 

“Can’t you just come with me?” Evan asked as Anthony walked over to the motorcycle that was hidden under an old tarp by the edge of the dock, waiting for someone to come pick it up and get rid of it. The smell of the ocean and gasoline filled the air. A truck rumbled down the highway.

“No.” Anthony pulled the tarp off. “Come on. Go.” Anthony tossed him the key. “Your stuff is all here. Your phone, that knife. Your helmet, everything. Take it and go.” 

“Anthony!” 

“I said get on the bike!” Anthony yelled. He glanced over his shoulder nervously at the other way into the parking lot. “We don’t have time! Go, Evan!” 

“Where am I supposed to go?” 

“Anywhere! Just get out of here!” 

“I don’t have any money on me!” 

“Here.” Anthony reached into his pocket, holding his wallet out to Evan. “Take it! Go!” Anthony yelled. Evan shook his head. Anthony grabbed Evan’s hand, forcing the wallet into his grip. “Please Evan. I know it’s hard. Just please, go. Please. You’ve been through such fucking hell and I don’t want to see you get hurt even more because of your kindness. It’s okay. Leave me. It’s okay.” 

“No, it’s not.” Evan hugged Anthony tightly. “I don’t want to leave you...I’m sorry I was mean to you.” 

“You were never mean to me.” Anthony smiled sadly, tears falling from his eyes. “But you will be if you don’t leave right now.” Anthony moved away from the hug. Evan nodded, sniffling. He took off his floral jacket, and pulled on his black and yellow jacket, stuffing his floral jacket into the backpack that his phone and knife inside. He reached for his helmet, not wanting to put it on. 

Headlights from the other entrance suddenly blinded Evan. 

Anthony ran back to the car, grabbing his gun from the glove box. “Evan get out of here!” The other Cadillac sped towards them. Evan couldn’t move. A bullet suddenly ricocheted off the pavement beside him, making him jump. “I said get out of here!” Anthony yelled. Evan nodded, pulling the helmet and his gloves on. He lowered his visor as he got onto the motorcycle. The engine roared to life as he turned the key. He glanced at Anthony who gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Goodbye,” Evan said, his voice muffled by the helmet. His grip tightened on the handlebars. The motorcycle sped off. 

Anthony raised his gun towards the Cadillac that was hurtling towards him. 

Evan did as he was told and didn’t look back. 


	10. Chapter 10

The city lights glimmered like the stars above. The warm summer night air whipped around the motorcycle driver. 

His gloved hands were shaking on the handlebars. 

The orange glow from the streetlamps reflected off his helmet and black metal of his bike. Tears spilt down his cheeks. When his vision finally became too blurry he pulled over, dusty gravel flying up under his tyres. He frantically kicked down the stand and got off. He yanked his helmet off, heaving for air. He fell to his knees on the gravel, sobbing. 

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” He cried. He sat there on the side of the road by his bike for what felt like hours, crying until he couldn’t anymore. He pressed his forehead against the dirt, his tears soaking into the earth. 

He imagined flowers growing from where his tears fell. 

Slowly, Evan raised his head, looking up at the night sky.  

He couldn’t leave. 

How could he leave? 

If Jonathan couldn’t find him, he’d find Smitty. He’d find his family. 

If Jonathan couldn’t find him, Brian would. 

Evan pulled his backpack off, searching for his phone. It was almost dead. Smitty had called him almost twenty times and texted him repeatedly. Evan wanted to call him so badly.

Slowly, he scrolled through his contacts, his hands trembling. He felt like he couldn't call any of them. He couldn’t call Smitty, couldn’t call Craig, couldn’t call Brock. 

A name flashed across his screen. He stopped, staring at it. 

Evan pressed the call button. 

He listened to it ring. He felt sick. He had to tell the truth if he were going to get help. 

“Hello?” A tired voice finally answered. Evan said nothing, fear crushing his chest. “Hello? Who is this?” 

“Kelly…” Evan finally managed to say. “It’s Evan...I-I…” 

“Evan? Where are you? Craig called me! What the hell is going on? Was it Jonathan who took you? Where are you?” Kelly demanded, sounding more awake now. 

“You...You can’t tell anyone that I called you...I can’t...I can’t tell you everything right now...Can...Can I just come to you? Please?” 

“Come to me? What?” 

“I-I...I got away. But I can’t go home...Please...I’ll explain everything, I promise...” Evan’s voice broke. He didn’t want to explain anything. “Just...Just don’t tell anyone that I called you.” 

“Why?” Kelly asked. Evan ran a hand through his damp hair. He sighed. His silence answered her. “Okay...Okay. You aren’t going to bring any of this shit to my house and my girls, are you?” 

“I don’t know…I’m sorry, Kelly.” He sobbed. 

“We’ll figure it out, okay?” 

“Okay…” 

 

The motorcycle rumbled through the quiet neighbourhood. Palm trees, pink flower bushes and white walls surrounding properties lined the road. Hidden behind the hedges, bushes and walls were expensive houses. The motorcycle driver drove as slowly as he could, looking for the house numbers. 

He finally saw the right number and pulled into the driveway of the large white stone house with an orange roof. Most of the house was hidden by a white wall with a gate in the middle. A large tree with pink flowers grew over the wall. The driver reached for his phone, texting Kelly that he was here. He figured it would just be best to show her the truth instead of trying to string together words that would only break. He sat back on his bike, his hands shaking. 

Would she shoot him? 

Would she send him away? 

He’d have nowhere to go except somewhere far away if she told him to leave. 

The smell of jasmine flowers filled the air. 

He heard a coyote call. 

The gate opened. 

Kelly walked down the path, her eyes on her phone. 

She stopped halfway down the path. 

She raised her head, her eyes on the Bogeyman in her driveway. 

Evan stared back at her. He slowly reached his gloved hands up to his helmet, pulling it off. 

Kelly said nothing. 

Evan’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. 

Kelly suddenly put her phone in her pocket, marching towards him. She threw open the smaller gate to the driveway and smacked Evan upside the head as hard as she could. Evan winced, nearly falling off his bike. 

“You stupid motherfucker!” She hit him again. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” She took a step back, breathing heavily. “What the fuck were you thinking?

“I-I…” Evan spluttered. Kelly took a deep breath. 

“Shut up. Get this thing in the fucking garage.” She hissed. She pressed the button on her keys, the door slowly creaking open. Evan pushed his bike inside, leaving his helmet on the seat. “Take that jacket off before you come inside. If Chrissy sees it she’ll drown you in our pool.” Evan did as he was told, pulling off his motorcycle jacket. He left it folded on his bike, and grabbed his bag, following Kelly back out of the garage and up the path to the large gate as the garage door closed. Kelly pushed open the gate. 

A large garden surrounded a small pool. Flowers of all kinds bloomed. Hidden away from the rest of the world, it was like Evan had stepped into another world. Hanging from a tree was a swing, vines of soft pink flowers wrapping around the ropes. Under a gazebo was a glass patio table with a vase of bright pink roses, wine glasses left on the table. Evan looked up at the windows of the house, some of the light green shutters closed. He lowered his gaze, following Kelly inside.

She lead him to the kitchen, closing the old wooden door. The white tiles on the floor and the backsplash glimmered in the light. The kitchen was a little bit messy, though not as bad as the kitchen in the beach house. Kelly grabbed a mug from one of the green cupboards and filled it with water. She dropped a few ice cubes in it and gave it to Evan who slowly sat down at the small circular kitchen table. “You’re gonna talk. Right now. Tell me everything.” 

“You aren’t going to tell anyone else...are you? The guys are gonna kill me if they find out…” Evan managed to say. 

“I won’t tell anyone. Unless this is too big for us to deal with on our own.” Kelly sighed. Evan looked down at the mug in front of him. 

“When did this start?” 

“When...When we took the vault not long after Tyler...After Tyler died…I made a deal with Brian.” Evan flinched, expecting Kelly to hit him again but she didn’t move. “I thought...I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought he was going to help me find Jonathan...Jonathan had stolen all the money from the vault. Only me, Smitty and Craig know that...I guess you know now too. He took Tyler and then he took all the money. I wanted to get revenge. I wanted to kill him. I still do...And Brian said he could help me...If I helped him.” Evan took a deep, shaking breath. “You’ve heard the stories about the ‘bogeyman’...I don’t need to tell what you what he made me do…” Evan spat out the name of the monster. Tears slipped down his face. “I didn't question it though...I thought I was doing the right thing...I thought that...That Brian could help me. He told me cared about me...that he wanted Jonathan dead as much I did...He told me that I was his dangerous boy…that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me…” Kelly suddenly reached for Evan’s hand, holding it tightly. “But he used me...Kelly, he used me...He made me into a monster and didn’t help me at all...He lied to me.” Evan held onto Kelly’s hand tightly. His shoulders shook with a sob. “I’m so sorry…” 

“Craig said that you were kidnapped...Why? By who?” Kelly asked. “Craig said that Smitty was with you...He said he was really scared.” More sobs seized Evan at the mention of Smitty. 

“Brian...Because...Because I didn’t do what I was told.” Guilt weighed down on Evan. Silence filled the kitchen as Evan struggled to find the words to explain everything. “On...On my birthday...Brian gave me a grenade and he told me to sabotage…” Evan trailed off. He was exhausted and hungry. He reached for the mug. He had never been so thirsty before. The ice cubes clinked in the now empty glass. “He told me to sabotage the job.” 

“The one we did?” Evan nodded. 

“That’s why I tried so hard to be part of it...And why I got into a fight with Smitty when I wanted to back out because of what happened the night before...I saw Brian kill a kid like me for doing exactly what we planned to do.” Evan felt sick at the memory of it. His grip on Kelly’s hand tightened. “So when it came time to throw the grenade...I-I...I panicked. All I could think about was the pool and Tyler’s body and how I had hidden from Jonathan and just how...weak...I am. I didn't do it.” 

“That’s why you were having an attack when we left…” Kelly breathed. Evan nodded again, his eyes on the table in front of him. 

“So then...Brian kidnapped me...And...And he killed Marcel and Daithi-” 

“Marcel’s not dead,” Kelly said. Evan’s eyes widened. “He got out.” 

“Did...Did Daithi?” Kelly shook her head. Evan closed his eyes tightly, tears spilling down his face. “It’s my fault...It’s all my fault.” 

“Evan…” 

“It is. It’s my fault Daithi is dead!” 

“Brian threw the grenade.” 

“Because I didn’t do what I was told!” Evan cried. 

“Evan...Shhh...What happened after Brian threw the grenade?” Kelly asked, her voice calm. She didn’t let go of Evan’s hand. 

“They took me back to the hotel...It’s downtown. Brian’s got the top floor to himself...There’s a room used only for storage and they threw me in there and left me all day...I thought...I thought they were going to let me die in there...But Brian wasn’t going to do that...I guess it was a few hours ago now...He said that he didn’t want to kill me...That he didn’t want to hurt me for what I had done...but he had to because that’s the rule...You do what you’re told. And if you don’t...Brian deals with you." Evan's voice broke. He took a moment to breathe, not wanting to think about what came next."He showed me these photos...Jonathan’s been stalking me...and taking photos of me.” A wave of nausea rolled over Evan. Kelly looked horrified. “Brian said that because I can’t do what I’m told...He can’t protect me anymore...And...And he called Jonathan right in front of me and told him that he can come get me now…” Evan’s hands shook. The image of the door handle turning flashed through his mind. “Oh god...Oh god…” Evan gasped for air. Kelly let go of his hand to move around the table, pulling him into a hug. He clung to her. “Anthony...B-Brian’s driver...He helped me escape...I think...I think he’s dead now too…” Evan sobbed. “It’s my fault...It’s my fault.” 

“Shh...Shh...It’ll be okay. I’m right here...I’m going to help you, Evan. I promise. You’ll be okay.” Kelly said softly, stroking his damp hair. “You’ll be okay.” She knelt down in front of him, giving him a reassuring smile. “I remember Tyler saying that he thought you were the bravest person he’d ever met. 

“H-He said that?”

“He did.” Kelly nodded. “It...It was a couple nights before he died…” 

_ The sky was aglow with oranges and pinks as the sunset. Tyler leaned his head against Kelly’s shoulder. The couple sat on the edge of the pool, their feet in the crystal blue water. Kelly took a sip from her wine, watching the sun reflect off the bottom of the pool.  _

_ “I should probably be getting back soon,” Tyler said softly. Kelly nodded, the golden sunlight giving her hair a gentle shimmer. The flowers around them danced in the breeze. “I don’t like leaving Evan alone for too long. He’s such an innocent kid...But he’s also the bravest kid I’ve ever met.”  _

_ “Oh?”  _

_ “I was really scared when I first talked to him...I thought he’d never say a word to us. Jonathan really brought him out of his shell it seems.” Tyler sighed. “I just hope that when we bring him home he stays brave, you know?" Tyler's bright blue eyes were on the pool and the shimmering water. "I don’t want to lose that kid.” Kelly pressed a kiss against his forehead.  _

_ “You won’t lose him. If he is as brave as you say he is...you won’t lose him. He’s got the best protectors I know.” Kelly smiled. Tyler looked up at her, nodding. She pulled him into a kiss, her fingers threading through his blonde hair. She broke away after a moment, cupping his face in her hands. Tyler leaned his forehead against hers. “He’ll be just as brave as you.”  _

 

Moonlight cast the boy’s shadow onto the tiled floor of the bedroom. Evan sat by the window, watching the pool water ripple and the empty street beyond. He wore one of Tyler’s t-shirts that been forgotten in the spare bedroom. It was too big for him but he didn’t mind. 

“Try to get some sleep,” Kelly had said when she had shown him to the spare bedroom. Evan had nodded but that was a lie. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to sleep. 

His phone was on the bedside table face down. It would occasionally vibrate, the screen lighting up with a text or phone call notification. Evan couldn’t bring himself to look at the messages. 

His dark eyes remained on the road, watching for someone with a camera. He couldn’t sleep knowing that Jonathan was out there, possibly closer than he had once thought. 

The thought of Daithi and Anthony’s blood on his hands didn’t make him feel any better. 

His heart hurt. 

Slowly, the sky began to lighten, a soft blue light began to fill the room. Evan fought the exhaustion that threatened to overtake him. He had to watch the road. 

As the sun rose, Evan finally closed his eyes, falling asleep by the window. 

Outside, the soft, colourful flowers swayed in the morning breeze. 

 

Birds sang. A neighbour was cutting the grass. Music played from a speaker inside. The swing tied to the flowering tree swayed back and forth, the petals of the flowers rippling with each movement. One of the petals fell, landing in Evan’s black hair. He swung back and forth slowly, trying to work up the courage to unlock his phone and listen to the voice messages left for him. 

“Evan’s gonna stay with us for a couple of days...Some stuff happened and it’s safer for him and all of us if you stay silent about it. Don’t tell anyone, not even Smitty and the other guys that he’s here. To everyone outside of this house, you don’t know where he is.” Evan had overheard Kelly instruct her girls. “Got it?” 

“What happened?” Lauren asked. 

“I can’t say.” Kelly sighed. 

“Is he okay?” Simone asked. 

“No. Just...Don’t bring up Smitty and the guys...Okay?” 

“How long is he going to stay here?” Sami asked. 

“Until we can figure out a plan...By we, I mean me and Evan.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Jaclyn asked. 

“I could bake something!” Sami had sounded excited. 

“We could have a movie night! Order a bunch of food!” Chrissy had said. The girls all began to talk at once, each coming up with their own idea on how to cheer up Evan. He had found himself smiling, sitting down on the top step, listening. 

“Guys, chill. It’s up to Evan. If he needs space, then that’s what we’ll give him. If he wants to do something, then we will, okay?” Kelly had said. He heard them all agree. 

As nice as all of their ideas were, what he wanted was space. 

Now, sitting on the floral swing, he stared down at his phone. He took a deep breath and unlocked it. Slowly, he went to his voicemail, holding his phone up to his ear. 

“Evan…” Smitty’s tired, sad voice came through the speaker. “They probably took your phone away from you...but please, if you hear this call me. Tell me where you are, I’ll come save you...That’s what I told you I’d do...Save you...I want to take you home...I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Evan...I’m so sorry...If they hurt you...I swear to God…” The message ended. The next one began. “F-Flower boy...Where are you?” Smitty’s voice was quiet. Evan could faintly hear him sniffle. “Where are you?” The message ended. Tears fell from Evan’s eyes. The next message began. “Lui left...He said he’s given up on you...He said we’re not listening to him...He and Craig had a big fight. I don’t understand...I’m sorry Evan...I’ll never give up on you. Never...We’ll find you. I promise…I promise.” 

The message ended.

Evan couldn’t listen to them anymore.

He slowly set his phone down on the swing beside him. 

His teary eyes lifted, looking up at the flowers that grew around the ropes of the swing. 

Another petal fell softly through the warm air. 


	11. Chapter 11

Warm bath water washed over bruised skin. Purples, yellows and greens painted Evan’s skin. He leaned his head against the rounded edge of the large tub, his eyes on the small circular window above the tub. He could see the trees and the flowers that surrounded the house, hiding it from the world. The golden clawed feet of the tub glimmered in the light. 

The counter had been haphazardly cleaned, the counter covered with glittering eyeshadow. There was still a smudge on the mirror from a lipstick heart that Jaclyn had said was from a drunken selfie photoshoot a few nights ago. 

Evan closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of the lavender bath soap. He sank down into the water, the heat relaxing his sore muscles. 

His phone on the counter had gone silent. 

Evan hated the silence. It made him think the worst had happened. 

Had Jonathan found Smitty? 

Had they found out about Evan’s secret? 

Had they given up on him?

He hoped it was just because Smitty had fallen asleep. He hoped that he was sleeping, that he was still taking care of himself. 

Evan sighed. 

He thought about the first night he spent in Smitty’s bed, about waking up with the soft white blankets around him and the morning sun. He thought about what it had been like to wake up with Smitty holding him, how he had gently traced a heart on his bare shoulder, how he had kissed him awake, getting a sleepy, sweet smile from him. He thought about the last time he had seen Smitty, how they had danced at that club, the neon rose on the wall glowing brightly.

He missed Smitty so much. 

Evan stayed in the bath until the water got cold. He washed his hair before draining the tub and got out. He got dressed in clean clothes that Kelly had given him. 

“They were Tyler’s...He doesn’t need them anymore though...There are more in the closet in your room.” Kelly had said. 

Evan tied the black sweatpants as tightly as he could before pulling on the white t-shirt. Feeling better, he quietly headed back to the spare bedroom. His leather jacket hung off one of the bedposts, the embroidered flowers glinting in the light. He sat down on the bed, his phone in his hand. He wondered if one text to Smitty to let him know that he was okay would hurt. He decided against it. He sighed, setting his phone down on the bedside table before getting up. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen, the smell of coffee and something sweet freshly baked drifting down the hallway. He found Kelly in the kitchen, a coffee mug in her hand. On the counter beside her was a tray of freshly baked goods. 

“I think I’ve figured out what to do. Its gonna be hard for you, but it's the best thing I’ve got. If you got anything better, tell me.” Kelly said as Evan got himself a cup of coffee. “I want you to pick anywhere in the world. A city. Preferably outside of the States. It doesn’t matter where. I’m gonna get you a plane ticket, a place to stay and you’re gonna go.”

“Alone?” 

“Yes.” Kelly nodded. “Once you are settled, I’m going to go to Smitty and the guys. And I’m going to tell them the truth. With you far away they’ll be more likely to want to cooperate, especially because I’m not going to tell them where you are until after we’ve dealt with Jonathan and Brian. Does that sound okay? It's like you are going on vacation. I know a guy who can make fakes IDs and stuff pretty quick so don’t worry about that. You can be on your way tomorrow night. You can go anywhere you want. Okay?” 

“No.” 

“No?” 

“I can’t leave you guys to face Jonathan and Brian on your own. I know them! I know how they work. Can’t we just spread a rumour that I took off?” 

“No. That’s too easy to disprove. I appreciate your determination but I think you should sit this one out, Evan. Jonathan and Brian might see you coming but they won’t see us coming.” Kelly sighed. 

“Kelly, please! I can’t just leave everything! When will I ever be able to come back?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“See? I can’t just leave without knowing when I get to come home! That terrifies me! I don’t want to be alone thousands of miles away!” Evan cried. “I can’t do that! There has to be something else!” 

“There isn’t.” 

“Kelly, please! I told Anthony that I don’t know where to go, that I have nowhere to go! I belong here, with all of you! I can’t leave Smitty!” Evan’s chest felt tight. “I can’t! Brian probably has guys everywhere! He could probably find me no matter where I go!” 

“You are capable of protecting yourself.” 

“What if he brings me back here?” 

“You are jumping to worst case scenarios here, Evan.” 

“This is a worst case scenario!” 

“You are alive. Yes, we’ve lost Daithi and...Anthony...But we don’t have to lose anyone else! If you leave, you can find the perfect hiding spot! You can blend in! You’re an arts student in Rome or a young entrepreneur in London! The choice is yours! No one is going to find you. I’m not going to tell anyone, Evan!” 

“I don’t want to go alone, Kelly.” 

“Evan, I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. But it guarantees you’ll survive and the rest of us will be able to take on the two of them.” Kelly explained. Evan shook his head.

“It doesn’t guarantee that you’ll all survive.”

“Neither does you staying here.” Kelly sighed. 

Silence fell over the kitchen. 

They could hear Chrissy and Sami’s voices coming from outside and the splash of water. Music floated down the stairs. In the distance was the frantic wail of an ambulance. A helicopter flew overhead. Birds sang. A car passed by the house. 

“I can’t leave, Kelly.” 

“You have to.” Kelly turned away from him. She picked up one of the sweets, a brownie and broke it in half. She held out one of the halves to him. “You’re stressed. Have this.” 

“How is a brownie going to calm me down?” Evan rolled eyes. Kelly laughed as she bit into her half. 

“Eat it, Evan.” She shoved it into his hand. “I’m gonna ask you where you want to go vacation in a few hours. I want an answer.” She said as she walked out of the kitchen, heading towards the stairs. 

"I'm not going anywhere!" Evan called after her. He looked down at his half of the brownie, still not understanding what Kelly meant. 

Cautiously, Evan took a bite of the brownie. It was very sweet. He ate all of it, chocolate sticking to his fingers. He turned to look back at the plate, wondering if he could have another half of a brownie. 

 

Warm sunlight washed over the garden. The flowers seemed brighter than they did before. They felt soft under Evan’s fingers. He slowly ran his fingers over the petals of a yellow rose, his wide eyes on the flower. 

He never thought that petals could be so soft. 

Slowly, Evan laid back on the grass, his eyes on the bright blue sky above him. He could hear the birds sing, could hear people’s muffled voices, could hear a car pass on the other side of the white wall. 

Everything seemed to glow. 

Evan closed his eyes, his hands moving slowly across the grass. 

He imagined himself lying in a large field, a sky ablaze in a surreal cacophony of colour above him. 

The grass was soft under his hands. The warm breeze played with his black hair. The crystal blue water in the pool lapped against the sides.

He hadn’t felt this calm in a long time. 

“How are you feeling?” Evan opened his eyes, looking up at Kelly who stared down at him, a small smile pulling at her lips. 

“I feel good…” Evan smiled. 

“Have you thought about where you want to go on vacation?” Kelly asked, sitting down beside him on the grass. 

“My mom used to talk about how she wanted to go to Paris…” Evan raised his right hand, watching his fingers move. “Can I have another brownie?” 

“No. You’re good.” Kelly laughed. “So Paris it is then. You can be there by tomorrow night.” Kelly said, looking back at Evan with a smile. “Excited?” 

“Yeah…” 

“I’ll take of everything. You relax.” Kelly said, getting up. 

“I am relaxed…” Evan said. He didn’t understand why Kelly laughed as she walked away. He dropped his hand back to the grass, watching the soft white clouds float across the sky. He could lie here forever.

The only thing missing was Smitty. 

As the shadows began to creep across the yard, Evan finally got up, slowly walking back inside. He felt tears in his eyes but he wasn’t sure why he felt so sad. He wanted to lie down in his bed. He slowly made his way up the stairs, gripping the railing tightly. One of the three bedroom doors was open. By three of the four walls was a bunk bed. Sami was sitting on one of the bottom bunks, headphones on. She was playing a bright blue guitar. 

“Are you doing okay?” Evan turned, seeing Jaclyn behind him. He nodded. She smiled, her cheeks sparkling. 

“How...How do you get your face so sparkly?” Evan stammered. Jaclyn laughed. 

“Did Kelly give you a brownie?” Jaclyn giggled. Evan nodded. “I could show you.” Evan nodded again. She smiled, leading the way into the bathroom where he sat down on the edge of the tub. “Do you want to be as sparkly as me?” 

“A little bit...Yeah…” 

“Okay.” Jaclyn laughed. She opened one of the drawers, finding a brush and a palette. She ran the brush over one of the golden highlighters before gently brushing it across Evan’s cheek. He closed his eyes, the brush tickling him. When she was done, she stood back, smiling. Evan opened his eyes, looking up at her. “Perfect!” Her brow furrowed when she saw tears welling up in Evan’s eyes. “Evan...What is it?” 

“I miss Smitty…” Evan cried, his shoulders trembling. Jaclyn set the brush and the palette down, pulling him into a hug. “I miss him so much...I just want to call him but I can’t...I can’t tell him the truth, Jaclyn…” 

“It’s okay, Evan...You’ll be able to call him again soon. Kelly’s gonna take care of you. I know she will. She takes care of all us.” Jaclyn said softly. “You’re so wonderful, Evan. How could anything bad ever happen to you?” 

“Bad things happen to me all the time…” 

“Good things happen too. You can’t forget about the good things.” Jaclyn smiled.  “How about this…” She quickly left the bathroom, returning a moment later with a Polaroid camera. “How about we take a photo for Smitty so you can show him how sparkly you are right now? Sound good?” Evan stared at the camera. 

The memory of the photos taken by Jonathan flashed through Evan’s fuzzy mind. 

After a moment, he nodded. Jaclyn smiled, raising the camera. The flash illuminated the room. She took a few more to let Evan decided which one to give Smitty. 

Sitting on the edge of the tub, he stared down at the photos. He looked tired, his skin blossoming with bruises. The gold sparkles seemed to hide all of that though, giving him a kind of angelic glow. He smiled. 

As the sun went down, Evan played the guitar for the girls. He sat on the floral swing, the blue guitar that Sami had been playing in his hands. His fingers seemed to glide effortlessly over the strings. The gentle music filled the garden. Soft pink flowers fell through the warm air. Golden light washed over the boy, his black hair falling over his eyes. 

On the kitchen table was a plane ticket. 

Tomorrow he would be gone, but today he was here and as happy as he could be. 

 

Silver moonlight spilt through the windows of the old house. In one of the bedrooms, four of the girls slept on bunk beds. On the pastel walls were posters, the shelves full of books and other knick knacks. The screen of Lauren’s phone illuminated her tired face. Above her, Chrissy quietly snored, her face pressed against the pillow. Simone had fallen asleep while reading, her book resting on her face. Sami slept on the bunk below her, the blue guitar safely in its case under her bed. Evan had shown her a new song, the lyrics written on a piece of paper tucked into the case to be learned later. Across the room Jaclyn was asleep, her earbuds still in, music still quietly playing. The bunk above her was empty. 

There was a name scratched into the railing of the empty bunk.

The clock on the bedside table read 11:26. 

In the room next door, Kelly slept on the left side of her bed. The right side remained perfectly made. 

Outside, the floral swing swayed gently in the wind. 

In the spare bedroom, Evan slept soundly for the first time in awhile. His cheeks were still covered with gold sparkles. 

By the door was a packed suitcase full of clothes left behind by Tyler.  They would have to do until Evan could get his own. 

His floral jacket hung over the bedpost. 

11:32. 

Evan’s phone on the bedside table lit up with a text message from an unknown number. 

11:33. 

A window broke downstairs. 

Lauren turned her head towards the door. She sat up listening intently. She heard more glass break. 

Flashlights flashed across the living room. 

Evan shifted in his sleep. 

There were footsteps in the hallway downstairs. 

The footsteps got closer to the stairs. 

There were multiple footsteps. They made their way up the stairs. 

A flashlight illuminated the landing, the light shining under Evan’s door. 

The door to the girl's room flew open. 

Lauren screamed. 

Evan’s eyes flew open. He sat up, his eyes in the door. He heard more screaming. He threw back the blanket, getting out of bed. 

Silence fell over the house. 

Evan’s chest tightened. 

Evan stared at the door. 

His hands shook. 

The door handle began to turn. 

Terrified, Evan dropped to his knees on the tiled floor, crawling under the bed. Evan put his hands over his mouth, his eyes on the door. 

The door slowly opened. 

Evan watched a pair of black polished shoes slowly step into the room. 

He couldn’t breathe. The polished shoes stopped by the bedpost. After a moment, his floral leather jacket dropped to the floor. 

He couldn’t make a sound. 

He’d be dead if he did. 

The polished shoes slowly moved towards the bedside table. Evan watched the shoes, his hands shaking. Tears of fear fell from his eyes. 

He couldn’t make a sound. 

The shoes turned away from the bedside table. They walked back towards the door. 

Was he safe? 

The shoes stopped. 

They turned towards the bed. 

Silence filled the room. 

He couldn't make a sound. The shoes didn't move. Whoever it was couldn't know that he was under the bed. They couldn't know. He would be dead if they knew. 

The shoes didn't move. 

Evan watched as hands were slowly placed on the floor. 

The hands were followed by a face.

“I found you, Evan.” Jonathan smiled. 

Jonathan suddenly reached for Evan’s wrist. Evan screamed, managing to roll away from him. He scrambled towards the other side of the bed. Jonathan’s hand curled around his ankle and pulled. Evan screamed as he dragged out from under the bed. He hit at Jonathan who laughed, hauling him to his feet. “Oh come on! That’s not how you greet an old friend!” Jonathan smiled. Evan wailed, hitting him. Jonathan suddenly punched Evan, sending him falling back onto the bed. Blood dripped from his nose. Evan gasped in pain, managing to roll onto his stomach and crawl across the bed away from Jonathan who let him. Evan fell from the bed to the floor, blood staining the blankets. "We don't have all night, Evan! Come on!" Jonathan said as he walked around the bed towards the terrified boy. 

"Don't touch me!" Evan screamed, kicking at Jonathan as he approached him. "Don't fucking touch me!" Jonathan grabbed Evan's right ankle as he tried to kick him again. Evan managed to twist out of his grip and kick Jonathan's legs out from under him. Evan got to his feet, jumping over Jonathan and ran towards the door only to run into Luke who grabbed Evan, his arm wrapping tightly around his neck. Evan screamed, hitting at Luke as the air was choked from his lungs. 

Kelly stood in the doorway of the girl’s room. Behind her were the girls, frozen with terror. A man in black stood by the door, a gun in his hand. “K-Kelly!” Evan sobbed, struggling to get out of Luke's grip 

“I thought Brian taught you how to fight better than that, Evan.” Jonathan laughed as he stepped out of Evan's room. 

Jaclyn's eyes widened with realization. 

“Jon...Jon just let him go. Whatever you want. We can get it. Just let him go.” Kelly said, struggling to keep her voice empty of fear. “Let him go.”

“You can’t give me what I want,” Jonathan said as another man in black came up the stairs. There was a needle in his gloved hand. “You know what...I don’t want anything from you except Evan and I got him.” Jonathan smiled, taking the needle. Evan gasped for air, his wide eyes on the needle. 

“I’ll fucking kill you!” Kelly yelled. “Let him go!” 

“If you kill me...Every single one of your girls will die. I can promise you that.” Jonathan said calmly. Kelly’s hands trembled. “One other thing. I'll know if you tell anyone that I stopped by tonight. If you tell anyone…” Jonathan suddenly stabbed the needle into Evan’s neck. Evan gasped, struggling against Luke who didn't let him. His nails dug into Luke's arm, drawing blood. Kelly could do nothing but watch in horror. “I’ll send you Evan’s tongue in a box.” 

The world began to blur. Evan felt light headed. The room seemed to spin as a numb darkness began to crash over Evan. 

Jonathan smiled. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the support Petals has gotten so far! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!   
> I will warn you now, this chapter is a bit disturbing and deals with some gory things.

A harsh white light found Evan in the darkness. He struggled to reach for it but found himself unable to grasp it. 

A camera flashed. 

“Take your time waking up…That drug’s a doozy.” 

Evan slipped away from the white light, falling back into the darkness. 

“I remember the first time I saw you...half dead on a motel bed in San Diego. Why didn’t you stay half dead? Why did you have to adore Tyler? I don’t understand…” A hand ran through Evan’s black hair. “Is it the idea of Tyler that you love?” The hand pulled his head to the side. Evan wanted to say something but found himself unable to. “Or was it something else?” 

Instead, his half-open eyes slipped closed, unable to hold onto consciousness for much longer. 

 

The sound of footsteps pacing across a cement floor reached Evan. He listened. He felt like he should be scared, that he should be running for his life. 

He couldn’t move. He could do nothing but listen. He heard the clink of metal and the buzz of a fan. He struggled to stay awake, listening to the unknown world around him. He couldn’t open his eyes, couldn’t move, couldn’t make a sound. He heard a quiet, muffled voice. It sounded frustrated. Evan strained to make out the words. Exhaustion pulled him back. He wanted to cry. 

He had to run, he knew he had to. 

He just couldn’t quite remember why. 

 

“Evan….Evan…” A quiet voiced called out. “Evan…” The harsh smell of a sharpie marker found Evan. “Wakey, wakey…” His dark eyes opened wide. Above him was a harsh white light. It shown down on his face, the golden sparkles left on his cheeks glittering in the white neon glow. He moved to get up but found that he was handcuffed down to a dentist’s chair. Fear seized Evan. The metal cuffs bit into his wrists. 

Drops of blood fell to the arms of the chair. 

“Where...Where…” Evan stammered. The strong smell of the marker so close to his face brought tears to his eyes. 

“Don’t move.” Jonathan hissed. Evan froze. He felt the marker against his skin just under his left eye. Evan closed his eyes, struggling to keep his breathing steady. “I always thought that you are like a rose, Evan...Just like me. You’re so perfect, Evan. Everyone adores you. Tyler adored you. Brian adores you...Smitty adores you. Everyone wants you, wants to be you...But under all that beauty, you have thorns. You’ll draw blood…” Jonathan laughed. “All that blood had turned you the colour of a rose. Dangerous, rosy boy.” 

“J-Jonathan…” Evan pleaded. 

“I said don’t move.” Jonathan hissed. Evan froze again. “What is it about you that makes people adore you like a rose, Evan? I thought I was the rose...So what is it about you, rosy boy? Hmm?” Jonathan asked. Evan said nothing, not wanting to move. “Is it your heroic story? Sympathy for the big-eyed, innocent kid? I admit I did feel sympathy for you when we first met. Brian and his guys sure did a number on you...It’s a miracle that Craig saved you. I’m glad he saved you, Evan...But at the same time...I wish he hadn’t. I wish he had let you die like he had with a few others before you. They were Brian’s guys...so he let them bleed out. I suppose it’s fair. They did some pretty horrible things to him and the others...But we’ve all done horrible things, Evan. Do you think that he would let you bleed out if he found out that you are the Bogeyman?” Jonathan asked, colouring in the rose he had drawn on Evan’s face with a red marker. “Let's hope we don’t get an answer to that question. You know what I think it is that makes everyone like you, Evan? You love...You hate...There is no in-between with you. You glow as bright as the sun...I think you are the closest we’ll ever get to something good and pure in this violent life. That’s why everyone wants to know you...They want to touch the sun. What’s it like to walk into a room knowing everyone is going to fall in love with you?” Jonathan breathed. Evan stayed silent, his dark eyes opening to look up at the bright light above him. “It’s everything...isn’t it?” Jonathan asked, leaning back in his chair to admire his work. Evan nodded. “I thought so.” He smiled. “Rosy boy...You have thorns. Don’t deny it. Tell me…What was it like being Brian’s Bogeyman, hmm?” He put the cap on the marker. “Wait. Before you do.” Jonathan spun in his chair, grabbing the camera that was on the table behind him. Evan's gaze drifted to the table, seeing it was full of different objects, all of them capable of inflicting some kind of harm. He held the camera up, the flash blinding Evan as he took a photo. Not satisfied, Jonathan took another. “Better. Now go on. Tell me. What’s it like to be the Bogeyman?” 

“Terrifying…” Evan whispered. “I don’t like blood...I don’t like the way people are scared of me…” 

“Because you want everyone to love you, right?” Jonathan smiled, going through the photos on his camera.

Evan had no choice but to nod. It wasn’t a lie. 

“I don’t like how I felt...powerful,” Evan said quietly. His voice trembled. He pulled at the cuffs again but it was no use; the metal only cut deeper into his skin. “Brian always told me that I...I am his dangerous boy. And in those moments...I believed him. I was dangerous.” 

“What’s the worst, bloodiest thing you’ve ever done to someone?” Jonathan asked, a small smile on his face. Evan looked up at him, tears welling up in his eyes. He had tried to force all those bloody memories into the back of his mind. He didn’t want to think about any of them. They choked the air from his lungs, they made his hands shake, made him cry, made him scream with horror. “I want to know. What’s the bloodiest thing the innocent boy that Tyler tried so hard to protect, done? Hmm?” 

“One time…” Evan took a deep breath, not wanting to speak the words. “One time...Brian gave me a pair of brass knuckles. He said that if I won’t use a gun...I’ll have to hit harder. So for my next job...It was just some guy who had stolen some stuff from Brian...But...But you can’t get away with stealing from Brian...He sent me after him. I found him leaving a bar…” 

_ The blue and red neon open sign buzzed. The young man stumbled out of the bar, his hands in his pockets, searching for his cigarettes and a lighter. Under a streetlamp was an expensive black and yellow motorcycle. The man stared at the bike, admiring it. He had always wanted one growing up. With his eyes on the bike, he didn’t see it’s driver come up behind him. He kicked the man hard in the back, sending him falling forward onto the pavement. He let out a cry of pain as his face hit the pavement. He turned in time to see a flash of gold. The driver brought the brass knuckles down on the man’s face. Blood splattered to the pavement. The man choked on his own teeth. The driver’s knuckles cracked as he punched the man again and again. Bone broke under his fist.  _

_ After a few more hits, the driver slowly got to his feet. Blood dripped from the brass knuckles on his hand. There would be dark, angry bruises across his hand in the morning. He started to walk towards- _

Evan couldn’t say another word. Jonathan had suddenly stood up, grabbing a knife from the table before forcing open Evan’s mouth. The edge of the blade was against Evan’s tongue. His teeth scraped against the metal. 

“The truth is a messy thing, isn’t it Evan?” Jonathan hissed. “That tongue of yours has let a lot of lies of slip out of your mouth. Maybe I should cut it out anyway...Stop you from lying. The things you tell people and the things you don’t tell people can get you killed.” Evan gasped for air. He pulled at the cuffs holding him down to the chair. Tears fell from his eyes. He was starting to taste blood. Jonathan stared at Evan for a few moments longer before pulling the knife out. Evan winced as it scraped against his teeth. “Tell me the story again. How it really happened.” Jonathan ordered. Evan nodded, doing as he was told. 

“I-I found him when he was leaving a bar…” 

_ The blue and red neon open sign buzzed. The young man stumbled out of the bar, his hands in his pockets, searching for his cigarettes and a lighter. Under a streetlamp was an expensive black and yellow motorcycle. The man stared at the bike, admiring it. He had always wanted one growing up. With his eyes on the bike, he didn’t see it’s driver come up behind him. He kicked the man hard in the back, sending him falling forward onto the pavement. He let out a cry of pain as his face hit the pavement. He turned, blocking another blow from the driver. He pulled him down on to the pavement, pinning the attacker to the ground with a knee on his chest. He yanked the driver’s helmet off then hit him once, then twice, then three times.  _

_ Evan gritted his teeth, tasting blood as he swung his fist at the man’s jaw. He heard bone break under the brass knuckles. Blood and teeth fell to the pavement. The man fell off Evan who scrambled to hit him again. His right hand hurt badly but he hit the man again with the brass knuckles. He didn’t get back up.  _

“See...Isn’t it better when we tell the truth? Your first story sounded like an action movie. It made you sound like a hero. It sounded like a lie. Your second one...You were honest with me. You aren't a hero. Just a kid doing what he's told. Remember how we used to tell you stories, Evan?” Jonathan asked, setting the knife down on the table. 

“Y-Yes…” 

“All of them were lies. All of them. We lied to you. We made ourselves into heroes so you would like us. We loved you. We didn't want you to hate us...To think that we're monsters. Remember the story I told you at the aquarium?” 

“Yes…” Evan remembered the neon blue glow, the look of sadness on Jonathan’s face and the way he had smiled at him. 

“I never hesitated when it came time to leave Lui behind. I stepped on the gas and didn’t look back. I was thinking about how I wouldn’t have to split the money with him dead. I just told you I was hesitant so you’d trust me.” Jonathan shrugged. He smiled. “I like this game. Did Smitty ever tell you a story?” 

“He did...About when...when John betrayed him…” Evan stammered. He didn’t want Jonathan to rip apart the image of Smitty that Evan had. “I get it...people lie...to make themselves look good...Jonathan, please...I don’t want to hear about how Smitty lied to me too.” 

“I remember that. God, Smitty murdered a lot of people that day. He had it coming, what John did to him.” 

The memory of Smitty crying on the beach, illuminated in golden light flashed through Evan's mind. 

“Shut up!” Evan yelled. "Shut up! Shut up!" 

“I can’t talk if you are yelling at me. You know that Smitty's a cold-blooded killer." 

"Shut up!" 

"He probably told you that he hesitates too because he wants you to think he's human."

“Go to hell!” Evan screamed. "You're fucking disgusting! I hate you!" Jonathan got up with an exaggerated sigh. He grabbed a rag off the table and gagged Evan with it, tying it tightly around his head. Evan continued to scream at him, his cries muffled and incomprehensible. 

“What was I saying? Oh right... I bet you he’s killed more people than I have.” Jonathan said, leaning back his chair. 

“He didn’t kill kids!” Evan tried to say. His hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly. His hands trembled with rage. 

“What was that? Something about Smitty killing kids?” Jonathan smiled, fidgeting with his sleeve. “We’ll see about that...I’m sure you are wondering why I killed those people you knew or lived around your childhood home...I’m a man of my word, Evan. You know that, don’t you? Do you remember what I said to you, Evan? Probably not because Marcel and those other idiots drugged you...I told you that I wasn’t going to kill _you_.” Evan stared at Jonathan, heaving for air through the rag. “I was wondering if I could do it...If I could break my word and actually kill you. When I had said that, I was planning to kill Tyler. I knew he’d be dead within the week. But when you looked up at me with those big eyes and asked me if I was going to kill you...I felt like I had to make a promise to you. So I did...Again partly to get you to trust me. But I kept that promise...Even when I found you hiding in that closet. I could have easily killed you right then and there but I didn’t. And now...I’m wondering if I’ll actually be able to do it now. I’m doing you a favour, Evan. There is only one way of this life that Tyler dragged you into...You can’t run away from me, from Brian, from Smitty. We’re the kind of people who will find you and kill you when you have your back turned.” Jonathan stared at Evan’s right hand. “Tyler was that kind of person too…” Jonathan breathed. He looked haunted. Slowly, Jonathan stood up. He turned away from Evan, pulling the hammer off the table. “He told you stories to make it seem like he wasn’t that kind of person...but he was...He was cruel. He was violent.” Jonathan said, turning to look back at Evan. “Are you sure you really want to be like him?” 

“Shh...Just breathe...It’s okay.” Tyler had said softly, holding Evan tightly in his arms after just waking up from a nightmare. “I’m not going anywhere…” 

Evan didn’t look away from Jonathan. 

“T-Tyler will always be better than you…” Evan spat through the gag. Jonathan grit his teeth. He raised the hammer above his head and brought it down on Evan’s right hand. Evan screamed, fighting against the cuffs as Jonathan brought the hammer down on his hand again. Blood splattered onto the sweatpants Evan wore and onto the floor. Evan’s ears were ringing. He wailed in agony, blood dripping down the arm of the chair to the cement floor. Tears spilt down his face. His vision blurred, the pain threatening to send him back into unconsciousness. 

“Don’t worry Evan…” Jonathan said softly, setting the bloodied hammer down. Evan heaved for air, white-hot pain searing up his right arm. “Don’t worry…” He filled up another needle, setting the drug bottle down quietly. He injected the needle into Evan’s arm, ignoring his weak cries of protest. Evan eyes began to close. He struggled to stay conscious but it was no use. “ _I_ won’t kill you.” 

 

The sound of someone laughing woke Evan. His dark eyes slowly opened, taking in the small hotel room around him. There was something familiar about it but he wasn’t sure what. He laid there for a while, fighting the urge to go back to sleep. 

On the bedside table was a vase of roses. 

It took him a moment to realize that he was wearing his motorcycle gear now, even the gloves. Across the room on the dresser was his helmet. He tried to move his right hand but was overwhelmed with pain. He heaved for air, putting his left hand over his face. 

Tears spilt over the rose drawn on his face.

He had to get out of here.

If he was in his gear that meant that his motorcycle would be nearby, his drugged mind assumed. He doubted he could ride it easily with one hand but he had to try. 

Slowly, Evan managed to sit up. He could feel blood soaking the inside of his right glove. He felt sick for a moment, a wave of nausea rolling over him as he remembered what Jonathan had done to him. He looked around, fearing that there would be a trap waiting for him as soon as he got out of bed. 

“You can do it…” He told himself. 

He just wanted to sleep. 

Evan managed to push himself out of bed, cradling his mangled right hand. He stumbled to the window, seeing the warm street outside. Parked across the street was the black and yellow motorcycle parked out front the window. Palm trees swayed in the breeze. 

Evan turned away from the window. 

A red Ferrari came to a stop by the bike, a white Porsche right behind it. 

Evan pulled on his helmet, lowering the visor over his eyes, the red ink of the rose petals under his eye glinting in the light. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized. He could deal with a few odd looks. 

Evan’s gloved left hand curled around the doorknob. Slowly he pushed it open. He peered into the hallway, the light reflecting off his helmet. He slowly realized why this hotel seemed so familiar. He leaned against the wall as he made his way down the hall. He stopped in front of one of the doors. 

The door was unlocked. 

Evan slowly opened the door. 

The vault at the other side of the room remained closed and untouched. Evan knelt down in front of it, slowly pushing the numbers of the code. The door unlocked. Inside was the money as it should be. Evan wondered if he should take some. He couldn’t carry it though. Wincing, Evan slowly stood up. 

“Don’t fucking move!” A familiar voice suddenly yelled. Evan froze. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot!” Smitty yelled, his voice full of rage. “Marcel, Brock. Go check the rest of the hotel. Where is Evan?” Smitty yelled. Evan couldn’t breathe. He stared at the faded wallpaper in front of him through his visor. “Where is he?” Smitty screamed. “We got the text from Evan! He said you broke his hand, you fucking monster!” Smitty yelled. “Where is he?” Evan had to say something but no words came. He remembered how he had pulled his helmet off to show Kelly the truth, how she had hit him but eventually understood. Evan couldn’t speak, he felt sick with fear. He couldn't make a single sound. “Tell me or I’ll fucking kill you! Where is he?” 

He had to do something. 

Evan’s trembling left hand began to move towards his helmet. 

A gunshot rang through the room.

"I said don't move!" 

Evan staggered forward violently, his left hand reaching for the wall. 

The shell fell to the floor. 

Craig reached for Smitty to stop him from shooting again out of rage but he was too slow. 

The second gunshot deafened Evan as his left hand slipped from the wall, sending him falling onto the vault. 

Evan finally found his voice, letting out a choking cry of agony. 

Blood dripped over the keypad of the vault. 

The gun dropped from Smitty’s hands. 

“No…” Smitty caught Evan as he limply fell from the vault to the old carpeted floor. 

There was so much blood. 

Smitty’s hands gripped the helmet pulling it off as Evan coughed up blood. 

The helmet rolled across the floor. 

"What have you done?" Craig stared in horror. 

“I-I’m...sorry…” Evan choked on his own blood. Smitty held him tightly, shaking his head. Evan reached up to hold onto Smitty's, the pain making him feel numb. He coughed up more blood. 

Blood pooled on the carpet and stained Smitty’s hands and clothes. 

There was so much blood. 

“No...No…” Smitty sobbed. “It’s going to be okay…” Smitty looked up at Craig, his shoulders trembling. “Call a fucking ambulance!” Smitty screamed at Craig. “Now!” His grip tightened on Evan who stared up at him, unable to breathe. Craig scrambled to find his phone. He stumbled out of the room to find Marcel and Brock. 

The black and yellow helmet reflected the warm afternoon light coming through the window. 

There was so much blood. 

“S-Sm…” Evan struggled to say his name. Smitty clung to him, pressing his forehead against Evan’s as his tired, dark eyes began to close. His left hand limply fell from Smitty's shoulder to the blood-soaked floor.

“Evan! Evan! Stay with me, please. Stay with me!” Smitty cried, cupping Evan’s face in his bloody hands. Blood smeared across Evan's face, covering the red rose under his eye. “Evan! I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry...Evan please!” 

The gate stood half open, the red flowers surrounding the bloody pool dancing in the hot wind. 

Evan tried desperately to cling to him but the tide pulling him away was too strong. 

There was so much blood. 

The dark waves crashed over him. 

Evan let the tide carry him away. 


	13. Chapter 13

Blood washed down the drain. The boy hung his head, his eyes on the white tile of the shower floor.

The hot water had gone cold.

He couldn’t bring himself to get out of the cold shower. He couldn’t get the image of blood on his hands out of his head.

He couldn’t get the feeling of holding the boy he loved in his arms as he bled out onto an old stained hotel carpet out of his head.

He remembered Craig yelling at him but he couldn’t remember any of the words. He remembered screaming at Craig when he tried to pull the bloody boy from his arms.

“The police can’t find the vault!” He remembered Craig yelling. He remembered hearing the wail of an ambulance getting louder. He remembered Brock holding him back as Craig and Marcel carried the body into the hallway, Craig’s jacket wrapped around his torso so there wouldn’t be a trail of blood. He remembered Brock and Craig fighting to get him outside.

He remembered being covered in blood.

He remembered watching from the passenger seat of his Porsche as the ambulance arrived, white and red lights flashing.

“W-We can’t leave…” He remembered telling Brock who sat in the driver’s seat, his grip on the steering wheel turning his knuckles white. “I-I didn’t know...I didn’t know it was him…We can’t leave…We can't leave him...” He remembered how the car had started abruptly then, Brock stepping on the gas.

The hotel receded in the rearview mirror.

“Lui fucking told us!” He remembered Marcel yelling as the sun went down. “He told us and we didn’t listen! Why didn’t you want to listen to him, Craig? Why did you pick some kid who was never a part of our family over Lui?”

“Evan was a part of our family!” Craig had yelled back.

“No, he wasn’t. He got Tyler killed and he got Daithi killed.” Marcel spat. “He nearly got killed me on multiple occasions!”

“He has a point.” Brock had said from where he sat on the couch.

“He made a deal with the devil and lied about it! Fuck him!” Marcel cried. “He lied to us! He’s not family, Craig! He lied to your face! God knows how many times he did it!”

“Stop it.” Craig sank down onto a stool by the kitchen counter, his head in his hands.

“Don’t deny it, Craig! He lied to you! He lied to all of us!”

“Stop it!” Craig suddenly screamed. “He’s dead! Evan is dead! Stop talking like you never cared! You did! We all did! We loved him! And now he's dead! You don’t know why he did what he did! Probably no one does! Stop talking about him like that!”

“You don’t have to keep doing what Tyler thought you should, Craig! Admit it, Evan was a liar! A backstabber!”

“Shut up!”

“Admit it!”

“Shut up!” Craig suddenly grabbed a glass on the counter, throwing it at Marcel who ducked out the way. The glass hit the wall, shattering into thousands of pieces. “Stop talking!” Craig screamed. Tears spilt down his face. “Stop...Just...stop.” Silence fell over the beach house. The broken glass reflected the soft lamplight. “Smitty for fuck's sake go take a fucking shower.” He remembered how attention had turned to him then. He remembered standing by the stairs, his clothes and hands covered with Evan’s blood.

There was so much blood.

Now, the water was freezing as it washed over him. The water had long ago run clear, all of the blood washed from his body.

Finally, Smitty got out of the shower, towelling off his hair. He got dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. For a long time, he stared at his foggy reflection in the mirror. His eyes were red from crying. He was pale. His hands were trembling.

He felt empty.

He opened the bathroom door, stepping out into the hallway. He could hear quiet voices coming from downstairs. Craig’s door was closed.

Instead of going into his room, Smitty continued past his door to Evan’s room, slowly pushing open the door. The bedroom was dark. It seemed unfamiliar to Smitty now. He closed the door behind him. Knowing what he knew now, everything looked different.

The white curtains billowed in the cold wind that came off the ocean.

Smitty took the red jacket off the bedpost from where it had been left, slowly lying down on Evan’s bed that had been left messy. Smitty hugged the red and white jacket, tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want to think about how Evan had lied to him, about what he had done.

He didn’t want to think about the blood.

He closed his eyes tightly, the sobs finally coming to him. He couldn’t stop it, couldn’t control it. He pressed his face against Evan’s jacket, sobbing till he couldn’t breathe. He heaved for air. He felt angry and heartbroken all at once. He wanted to be angry at Evan for what he had done, but he wanted to understand why. He couldn’t think about it now, the memory of the Bogeyman, of Evan, standing in front of the vault flashing through Smitty’s mind making him sob more.

He should have known.

He had known.

He remembered pulling Evan’s shirt off the first time, seeing all the bruises and scars on him. He knew something was wrong but he choose to pretend he didn’t.

Now it was too late.

Smitty cried himself to sleep, the white curtains billowing in the wind that came through the open window.

 

It was still dark out when Smitty woke up. His stomach growled. He slowly got out of bed, leaving the red jacket on the pillow. He slowly made his way out into the hallway and down the stairs. Brock sat at the dining table, his head resting on the hard surface. Smitty grabbed a pillow from the couch and carefully slid it under Brock’s head, careful not wake him up. He searched quietly through the kitchen for something to eat. In the fridge was one last slice of cake from Evan’s birthday. Smitty stared at it, his grip on the fridge's door tightening.

The bright red icing spelt out half of the word “happy”.

Smitty grabbed the container, pulling off the lid. He tossed the lid in the sink and grabbed a fork. He headed outside onto the patio, sitting down in the dark on the sandy steps. Beach towels fluttered in the wind from where they hung in the patio railing.

Smitty began to eat the sickly sweet cake, tears spilling down his cheeks. The fork scrapped against the bowl. The waves crashed onto the shore. He set the plate down on the step beside him, the slice half finished. He could stop crying.

He wanted Evan, wanted to go back and change everything, wanted to stop himself from pulling the trigger.

It was too late to change any of it.

 

“You’re kidding, right? Please, tell me you are joking.”

“I’m not.”

“Fuck…” Kelly sank onto the couch as Smitty quietly made his way down the stairs.

He had heard her come in half an hour ago but hadn't wanted to leave Evan's room where he had spent most of the day, the curtains closed. He had pulled the blanket over his head, sleeping when he wasn't crying or thinking about what had happened the day before.

Kelly put her hands over her face. Craig glanced up at Smitty. Marcel and Brock sat on the other couch, not looking at Smitty.

“You said that Evan told you everything?” Craig asked quietly. Smitty stared at Kelly as she nodded, tears slipping down her face. “Did he tell you why he was kidnapped?”

“He said that...that Brian told him to sabotage the heist and Evan didn’t do it...Brian was furious. He...He manipulated Evan so cruelly. He abused him. Evan was a good kid. He only worked with Brian because he thought it was the right thing to do! He said that he wanted to find Jonathan! To get revenge for Tyler. He had good intentions...Brian just twisted them horribly.”

“I don’t care. He lied to us.” Marcel hissed.

“Because he was scared of you!” Kelly cried. “He thought you would…” She trailed off when she noticed Smitty.

“Thought we would what, Kelly?” Smitty asked.

“Shoot him.” Silence fell over the beach house. The late afternoon light came through the windows. There was still a piece of glass from the coffee table embedded in the rug. “He wanted to tell you. I know he did. He was just so scared...Of Brian, Jonathan...He loved you, Smitty.” Smitty’s gaze lowered to the floor. “He loved all of you. He was a good kid. Please don’t be angry.”

“He knew not to make a deal with Brian! Tyler told him that God knows how many times! He murdered people over money, Kelly! That made him a hitman! It made him into the Bogeyman!” Marcel yelled.

“Look around you!” Kelly suddenly yelled. “You are surrounded by Bogeymen! We are all bogeymen! Smitty was a hitman! I rob people’s homes! Craig’s killed people! You’ve killed people! We all have blood on our hands! You didn’t see the terror and pain in Evan’s eyes when he showed up in my driveway on that bike. You didn’t see how much he wanted to stay and protect you all from Brian and Jonathan. He would have given up his life to save you guys. And you shot him in the back!” Kelly’s piercing eyes locked onto Smitty. “You shot him because you thought he was someone else who deserved to die for doing the exact same thing you used to do!” She stood up suddenly, her hands curling into fists. “You’re all fucking hypocrites.”

“That’s not what we’re mad about! It’s the fact that he lied to us! That he kept it a secret! If he had just told us from the start we could have figured something out! It never had to get this bad! He should have told us the truth!” Marcel cried. “He wouldn’t be dead if he had just told us the truth! Jonathan wouldn't have grabbed him! We would have gotten him out of the deal with Brian!”

“Stop saying what would have or could have happened.” Smitty suddenly spat. “He’s dead. We can’t fix it.” Tears fell down his face. “And Kelly’s right. We’re all monsters. We’ve all done monstrous things. What’s the point? What’s the point of fighting about this?” Smitty looked up at them. No one said anything. “It doesn’t matter! Evan’s dead!” He yelled. He shook his head, his hands trembling. “Nothing matters.”

"Don't say that. It's like everything Evan did and went through was for nothing when you say that." Kelly cried.

"I have no sympathy for him. He lied to you too, Kelly! Why aren't you angry about that? He used Tyler's death to justify his actions!" Marcel cried. "Did you not see how obsessed with Tyler he was?" Kelly's brow furrowed.

"He never said anything about Tyler other than that he wanted revenge..." Kelly said quietly.

"He wanted to be Tyler." Marcel spat. Smitty's hands curled into fists. He hated that they were walking about Evan like this.

“Smitty…” Brock reached for Smitty only for him to roughly push his hand away.

“Don’t touch me.” Smitty suddenly turned away from them. He couldn't listen to them fight anymore. He grabbed his car keys off the table, storming towards the door.

"Smitty!" Craig called after him. "Where are you going?" He didn't answer him.

Outside it was still hot, the late afternoon sun still merciless.

He unlocked his car, getting inside. The engine roared to life. He backed out of the driveway and sped down the sandy road.

He felt cheated on.

His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Evan lied to him. He lied to his face every single day.

“Oh my God, Evan…” The black haired boy stared up at Smitty with a dazed look on his cut-up face, glass surrounding him. Craig had carefully helped him to his feet, holding him as if he would shatter in his hands. Smitty watched, wondering what could have happened to send Evan falling onto the glass table.

“Liar.” Smitty said now, his eyes on the road ahead of him. Had everything been a lie?

Was it all a lie?

“He loved you, Smitty.” Kelly had said. There wasn’t any proof. People say certain things to those who are grieving to make them feel better all the time and they aren’t always the truth. Evan had trusted her more than he trusted Smitty. After everything, he had gone to Kelly instead of him.

Evan had never said that he loved him. He never would.

The white Porsche came to a stop at an intersection. Smitty leaned his head against the wheel, fighting back sobs.

His phone suddenly vibrated on the seat beside him, the light from the screen catching Smitty’s eye. He hesitantly reached for his phone.

The text message from an unknown number read “How does it feel? Horrible? I can only imagine. Maybe it’s time to vent some anger.” The phone went off again with another text message that included an address. “Send me a pic and I’ll give you 10k for it.” Read the text message that followed. The unknown sender sent a winking face. Smitty’s brow furrowed.

The light turned green.

Smitty dropped the phone down on the seat and stepped on the gas.

Impulsively, he turned onto the next street. The expensive car sped up, the engine roaring. Smitty glanced at the seat beside him, imagining John with him, white fluffy clouds of vapour floating around him. It was just another job, just another night before Tyler showed up in his life; before Evan.

The white car came to a stop out front of an apartment building. Without thinking, Smitty got out of the car, walking around the trunk, tucking his phone into his back pocket. He pulled out a black duffel bag, his eyes scanning the street around him as he slammed the trunk door down. He silently made his way towards the building, his mind going blank. He counted the stairs under his feet on his way up to the fourth floor of the building. He pulled a loaded gun from his bag. He stopped out front of the door, dropping the bag to the hallway floor. He knocked on the door, pressing his hand over the peephole.

The door opened.

Smitty raised his gun.

“Evan...This is Daithi, Brock, Marcel and Smitty…” Tyler had said, his hand on the scared boy’s shoulder. Smitty didn’t smile.

He pulled the trigger, the man’s body collapsing to the floor as blood splattered violently onto the wall behind him. Smitty reached for his phone, opening the camera.

The white flash reflected off the growing pool of blood.

“Bogeyman…”

There was so much blood.

“Smi…” Evan had choked. Blood oozed out of his mouth, his tear-filled, bloodshot eyes locked onto Smitty’s.

Smitty sent the photo to the unknown number.

He slowly tucked his phone back into his pocket, putting his gun back in the bag. He closed the apartment door, making his way back to the stairs. He counted the stairs back down to the bottom floor. He counted his steps back to his car. He dropped his heavy bag back in the trunk and got in the car. He closed the door and put the keys in the ignition. He gripped the steering wheel, his eyes on the empty road in front of him.

Smitty suddenly screamed, tears spilling down his face.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Smitty hit the steering wheel. “Fuck you!” He heaved for air, his knuckles white. He closed his eyes tightly. It took him awhile to finally catch his breath. He felt numb.

He began the drive back home.

Red flowers on the side of the road danced in the wind.

The white Porsche slowly drove down the sandy road, pulling into the driveway beside the red Ferrari. Kelly’s car was gone. Smitty sat in silence for a few minutes before getting out. He didn’t go inside, instead walking around the building to the beach. He walked all the way to the water’s edge before sitting down on the sand. His hands trembled. He looked down the bouquet of yellow buttercups on his wrist. He remembered how it felt when Evan had gently traced them with his finger. Smitty took a deep breath, tears beginning to fall again. He wanted to stop crying but he couldn’t.

He wanted Evan.

The sun slowly set over the city, the golden light slowly fading away into darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are only two more chapters left of Petals!! Thank you guys so much for supporting this fic! It's been a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy the chapter!!

Smitty dreamed of blood. It dripped from his hands, pooling on the floor around him.

There was so much blood.

He was going to drown in it.

Smitty began to cough up blood. He fell to his knees, choking on the blood in his throat.

“I-I didn’t know…” He gasped. “I didn’t know it was you…” Evan stood in front of him, just as bloody. He simply stared down at Smitty, his dark eyes filled with tears. Smitty looked up at Evan. "I'm sorry..."

There was a thorny red rose in his hand.

Smitty’s eyes slowly opened. He stared at the bedroom window, watching the waves gently roll onto the beach outside.

Three days.

It had been three days since Smitty pulled the trigger. Three days since he had held Evan in his arms. It had been two days since the last time he had killed someone, leaving the body in the front hallway of the apartment. He had gotten the money but he hadn’t heard from the unknown number since.

He tried not think about who he might have killed for.

He slowly rolled over, pulling Evan’s blanket over his head.

It felt like he had been left behind. The world kept spinning and he was left floating, alone with nothing but his guilt and grief. He had only gone downstairs to eat, not saying a word to anyone. Craig tried to talk to him, Brock tried to comfort him, Marcel ignored him.

The beach house felt empty.

“Tyler is gone...Jonathan left us. Daithi is gone...Evan is gone…” Smitty had heard Brock say. “It's just us four now. We can’t fall apart now…”

“I know...I just want to leave, Brock. I want to leave this city and never come back. There is nothing good here for anyone.” Craig had said. Smitty didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, silently making his way back upstairs to the dark safety of Evan’s room.

Three days.

Two bullets.

And Evan was gone. He was gone as quickly as he had appeared in their lives.

Smitty remembered getting the text from Evan after almost three days of nothing. He remembered the fear and panic that had set in when he read the text, read the words that pleaded him for help.

“Smitty help me! The Bogeyman has me! He took me to the vault! He broke my hand! He’s going to kill me!” The text had said. Smitty hadn’t stopped to discuss it with the others. He hadn’t stopped to think.

He had jumped into action, grabbing his duffel bag and car keys. He remembered driving as fast as he could to the hotel. He remembered seeing the black and yellow motorcycle, rage building up in his chest. He had run inside and up the stairs, seeing the door to the room with the vault open.

“Don’t fucking move!” He remembered yelling. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot!” Not seeing Evan anywhere had terrified him. Was he already dead? “Where is Evan?” He thought that the Bogeyman's silence answered him. When he saw the Bogeyman slowly raise his left hand, his rage had gotten the better of him. He had warned him not to move.

The sound of Evan’s cry as he fell onto the vault echoed through Smitty’s ears as he slowly laid back on the bed, his eyes on the ceiling. “Do you want to keep going?” Smitty had asked, looking down at Evan who lay under him. He remembered how he had bit his lip. He remembered how in love he had felt.

“Yes…” Evan had whispered.

Smitty closed his eyes tightly, letting out a quiet sob. He rolled onto his side, tears staining the sheets.

Three days.

“Oh fuck!” Marcel suddenly yelled, his voice carrying up the stairs and under the bedroom door. “Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck! How fucking stupid are we? We’re so fucked!” Smitty slowly sat up, his eyes on the door. “Craig! Fucking listen to me! No shut up and listen! The fucking…” His voice quieted. Smitty couldn’t hear him anymore.

“What are we supposed to do?” Craig suddenly yelled. “You want us to do this again?”

“What else are we supposed to do? We have nothing if we don’t get it back!”

“I don’t want anything!”

“How are you going to get out of here then? Hmm? You gonna get your job at that corner store back?”

“Guys! We can figure it out!” Brock interjected. Smitty couldn’t hear anything else. Slowly he got up, his bare feet padding across the floor. He opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. Their voices were louder now.

“Who else could have it? Does anyone have it?” Craig asked.

“Fuck.”

“What?”

“Jonathan.”

“No. No, we’re not fucking with him. I don't care if he knows it or not. Someone else has to have it.”

“No one does. You know that.”

“I don’t want anyone else to die…” Craig sighed.

“Marcel is right. If we want to get out of here, we need the code. We don’t have enough cash on us right now to start over somewhere else.” Brock sighed.

“What about Smitty?” Craig asked, catching Smitty off guard.

“What about him?”

“He hasn’t said if he wants to leave Los Angeles or not.”

“So what? If he wants to stay, let him. We need the code, Craig.”

“We can’t go after Jonathan on our own.” Craig insisted.

“Smitty will help us. And we could ask Kelly-”

“She’s not doing anything with us since we let Evan die.” Brock sighed.

“Right...Well...maybe we can hire someone to help. It can’t be that hard to find someone.” Marcel said. “We just won’t tell them how fucked up Jonathan is.” Smitty leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes.

“What do you think he did to Evan?” Craig asked after a moment of silence.

“Can we not talk about that?” Marcel sighed. Smitty silently agreed, stepping back inside the bedroom. He didn’t care if they heard the door close. He laid back down, pulling the blanket over his head. He wanted to know what Jonathan did, but a part of him didn’t want to know. He felt sick just thinking about it. Evan’s right hand had felt mangled, held together by the black and yellow glove. What horrified him most was the red rose drawn with marker under his eye. Had Jonathan drawn that? What did he say to Evan?

Smitty sighed, slowly rolling over. His eyes landed on his phone. He reached for it, the screen lighting up. The background photo was of him and Evan at a club, sparkles and confetti falling around them. Evan’s dark eyes were on Smitty, a smile on his face. Smitty unlocked the phone, going to his text messages. The last text from Evan was the one asking for help. He knew now that the text had been sent from Jonathan, not Evan. Smitty tried not to look at it. He opened the messages sent by the unknown number. He stared at the screen for a few moments before typing out a message and sent it.

“What do you know about Jonathan?” The message said. Smitty tossed his phone down on the bedside table and rolled over, dreading the response.

 

Smitty dreamed that he was running. He was fifteen again, his shoelaces undone. He couldn’t stop running. He looked back over his shoulder, seeing his father’s old car speeding around the corner.

He couldn’t stop running.

He wasn’t going back to that house.

The smell of jasmine filled the night air.

Smitty turned, sprinting down a narrow back alleyway between the houses. He ducked in between two garbage bins by an old white sports car, hiding in the shadows. He heard the car speed by. Hugging his knees to his chest, the boy started to cry. He had nowhere to go but nowhere was better than that house. He let out a sob, his shoulders trembling.

A cloud of white smoke billowed from the other side of the white sports car. Smitty quickly put a hand to his mouth, quieting his sobs. He watched as a boy a few years older than him stepped around the car. He stared at the boy hiding between the two garbage bins. The rings on his hands glinted in the orange light. He took another drag.

“Are you okay?” The boy finally asked, smoke billowing around him. Smitty shook his head. The boy reached his hand towards Smitty. “Come on. It’s gross over there.” Smitty didn't move. "I won't hurt you." The older boy promised. Hesitantly, Smitty took his hand. “I’m John.” The boy smiled.

White jasmine flowers danced in the cold night air.

The sound of a door slamming down the hall jolted Smitty awake.

It was 9:34 am.

He sat up slowly, looking around Evan’s room.

Something red caught his eye.

On the floor by the bathroom door was a burnt rose petal.

Smitty got up, slowly making his way over to the petal. He picked it up, wondering where it could have come from. He turned on the light in the bathroom. There was another petal on the white tiled floor. Curious, he pulled open the closet door, finding it filled with Evan’s expensive clothes. On the shelf was a box of surgical masks, all of them black. On the bottom shelf was two decorative bouquet boxes. Smitty opened one of them, finding it full of pink plastic roses.

He closed the closet door, feeling uncomfortable for snooping through Evan’s things. He glanced back at the bed, noticing something underneath it that he hadn’t before. Pushing his uncomfortable feelings aside, he knelt down by the bed, pulling the box out. He lifted the lid. Tears began to fall from Smitty’s eyes as he leaned back against the bed, the box in his lap. He carefully took out all of the knives hidden inside, almost twenty-five of them. One of them was bright gold. He held it in his hand, watching it reflect the morning light coming through the window. He set it back down with the others. He picked up the love note he had given Evan, reading it over. He sighed, setting back down. There was another note. A love letter from Evan that was half finished. Smitty cried as he read it. He pressed it to his chest, tears spilling down his face.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered. He put the letter back in the box, reaching for the black sketchbook. He froze when he saw what was under it. Tyler’s pig mask and his handgun. Smitty tried to not look at them. He opened the sketchbook, finding it full of drawings of flowers. He smiled sadly, flipping through the pages. There were little notes from Evan, reminders and memories, ticket stubs and receipts. There were odd creatures doodled on some of the pages, becoming bigger and bigger with each flip of the page till Smitty finally came upon a disturbing drawing of what Evan had titled ‘the Bogeyman’ then wrote ‘me’ underneath it. Smitty hated that name. He hated that he said that name in front of Evan. He hated that he hated the Bogeyman. He couldn’t imagine the pain that Evan must have felt when he heard them say that name.

He was never a monster.

He was his Flower Boy.

His phone suddenly vibrated. Slowly, he reached for it. The unknown number had answered him.

“What do you wanna know about Jonathan?” Smitty bit the inside of his lip. He wanted to know everything. He hesitated before typing out a response.

“Where can I find him?” He got a quick response with an address.

“Burbank seems like such an odd place to find a serial killer...but that tends to be where all the serial killers are; odd places.”

“Serial killer?” Smitty texted back, his chest tightening with fear.

“Haven’t you been watching the news?” Smitty’s eyes widened. Those kids who had gone missing near where Evan had grown up. He felt sick. He took a deep breath. He looked down at his phone, his grip tightening. He waited for the person on the other side to ask for something in return. Perhaps they would accept the job he had done, but that rarely happened.

“What do you want from me?” Smitty finally asked. He waited a few minutes before he got a response.

“I’ll ask you for something in return later.” Smitty’s brow furrowed. He stared at the message, the knives on the floor around him glinting in the light. Another message suddenly popped onto the screen. “Go kill Jonathan. I know you want to.” Smitty looked up at the bedroom door.

He could do it.

Jonathan wouldn’t see him coming.

If he went alone, Craig, Brock and Marcel wouldn’t be in the line of fire. He’d get the code back and set them all free. However, he'd be alone. If Jonathan was a serial killer there would be no way to predict what he'd do.

Smitty shook his head. He couldn’t go alone.

He’d die. Jonathan would kill him.

Smitty set his phone down on the bedside table and set about putting the knives back into the box. He wondered why Evan had collected them all. He picked up the golden knife again, watching the blade glint in the light. He couldn’t resist tucking it into his pocket. He figured that he’d eventually have to clean out all of Evan’s stuff and get rid of it but he couldn’t. Not yet.

“So what? We’re just gonna sit here until Jonathan finds us and kills us all in our sleep?” Marcel suddenly yelled. “Fuck you, Craig! You fucking coward!”

“Don’t you fucking dare call me a coward!” Craig yelled back.

“Coward! Coward! Coward!”

“Shut up!”

“Fuck you!”

“If you wanna die so bad, go fucking find Jonathan! Go find Brian! I don’t fucking care! I’m leaving!”

“Fine! Leave! We’re better off without you!” Marcel screamed as Craig’s door slammed. Smitty closed his tear-filled eyes tightly. He hated hearing them yell at each other like this.

They all felt like they couldn’t trust anyone anymore, not even each other.

He wanted them to stop fighting and he could think of only one way to do it.

He’d set them free.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, his gaze on his phone on the bedside table beside the dying bouquet of flowers that Smitty had given Evan for his birthday. A collection of dead petals had gathered on the table. He didn't want to leave and he didn't want to stay. There was only one thing he wanted, but he'd never get it. Smitty slowly got up, putting the lid back on Evan's box of treasures and slid it under the bed.

He had nothing left to lose.

 

The white Porsche rumbled down the quiet streets lined with tall palm trees. The mountains loomed at the edge of the county. The warm air came through the rolled down window, playing with the red tropical print shirt that Smitty had thrown over his plain white t-shirt. His jeans had a rip over his right knee. His eyes were on the house numbers. The bright, hot blue sky stretched to the horizon. The Porsche slowly came to a stop. Smitty’s eyes were on a small beige house. There was a small garden full of blooming flowers out front. The driveway was empty. Heatwaves rippled off the pavement. Heat bugs sang. He could hear the sound of a lawnmower.

“Where are you going?” Marcel had asked as Smitty came down the stairs.

“Out.” Was all he had said. Marcel hadn’t questioned it.

“Nothing left to lose…” He muttered to himself now as he grabbed the duffel bag on the seat beside him. He’d deal with Jonathan and get the code.

Or he’d die.

He took the keys out of the ignition and got out. He locked the white car and made his way across the street. A sprinkler watered the green grass. Down the street, a couple of kids were playing soccer on the front lawn of their house. In his pocket was the golden knife from Evan’s odd collection. Smitty set his bag down on the step, pulling out a handgun. He loaded it before knocking on the door, pressing his hand over the peephole. He waited. No one answered. He knocked again. Still no answer. Smitty glanced over his shoulder at the quiet houses around him before taking the silencer for his gun out of his bag. He shot the lock and kicked the door open the rest of the way. He picked up his bag and stepped inside.

He was greeted with a red neon light.

The black bag dropped from Smitty’s hand.

His eyes widened.

The living room was empty, the carpet torn out. A red neon light filled the room. Hanging from strings where photos. There hundreds of photos.

Evan was in every single one.

Smitty slowly took a few more steps into the room, his eyes drifting from photo to photo. He was surrounded by them. “What the fuck?” Smitty breathed. Had Jonathan taken all of these photos? The realization that Jonathan had stalking Evan crashed over Smitty as he reached for one of the photos. It was of Evan two weeks after they taken the vault, leaving the hotel with Craig. He stared at the young boy in the photo for a few moments before moving to the next as if he were in a museum. In the next photo, Evan was staring right at the camera, a rose drawn under his eye. Smitty felt sick looking at it.

“Smi…” Evan had gasped, blood dripping down his chin. Tears fell from his dark eyes, slipping over the rose drawn on his face. Smitty looked down at the cement floor, his left-hand curling into a fist as his grip on the gun in his other hand tightened. He couldn’t be in here anymore.

Smitty turned, leaving the red room. He went down the short hall to the kitchen, finding nothing in there. The dining room was dark. He turned the light on. A harsh white light filled the room. The carpet had also been ripped up in here. There was nothing but a table and an old dentist’s chair. The window was covered with a black tarp. Two pairs of handcuffs hung from the arms of the chair. The right arm was covered with dried blood. The image of Evan’s mangled right hand flashed through Smitty’s mind. He turned away, a wave of nausea overcoming him.

He had to get out of this house.

There was a strong smell of chemicals and death in the air. He turned, stumbling back towards the living room where he had left his bag.

He had to get out.

A metal cord suddenly looped around Smitty’s neck. The gun dropped from his hand. He gasped for air. The metal bit into his neck.

“Do you like my gallery?” Jonathan said into Smitty’s ear as he heaved for air. Smitty clawed at the cord. “It’s filled with photos of the boy you loved.” Jonathan suddenly hauled Smitty back, the cord viciously choking him. Smitty struggled to stay on his feet, his eyes watering. The red neon light suddenly surrounded them, casting everything in a bloody red glow. “Brian called him his dangerous boy. What did you call him?” Jonathan laughed. Smitty’s vision blurred. Blood oozed out from under the metal cord. Smitty rammed his heel into Jonathan’s kneecap, his leg buckling. Jonathan’s grip loosened enough for Smitty to grab his wrists and throw him over his shoulder. Jonathan crashed to the cement floor, the air knocked from his lungs. Smitty fell to his knees, heaving for air. He put his hand to his throat as Jonathan slowly began to pick himself back up. Smitty’s hand came away bloody.

“F-Fuck you…” Smitty gasped. Jonathan smiled.

“What are you here for, Smitty?” Jonathan asked. Smitty stood up slowly. Behind him was a photo of Evan on his eighteenth birthday. He was holding a bouquet of sunflowers.

“The code.” Smitty snarled. “What is it?”

“I can’t tell you that. Evan made a promise. Don't you remember?” Jonathan taunted him. Smitty snarled, suddenly lunging towards Jonathan. He tackled him to the floor, punching him. Jonathan blocked Smitty’s second hit, grabbing his arm. He bit into his wrist, blood swelling around his white teeth. Smitty screamed in pain, pulling his wrist away from Jonathan who laughed, spitting Smitty’s blood and a small piece of flesh back at him.

Smitty scrambled away from him, pressing his left hand to his bleeding wrist.

There was so much blood.

He reached for his duffel bag on the cement floor. Jonathan grabbed his ankles, dragging him back. Smitty’s hand curled around an unloaded gun his bag which he swung at Jonathan, the heavy barrel connecting with his jaw. Teeth and blood fell to the cement floor. Jonathan screamed in pain as he collapsed, his and Smitty’s blood dripping down his chin. He heaved for air, staring at Smitty with dark, angry eyes. Smitty stared back, his right wrist and hand red with blood. His throat stung.

“What’s the code?” Smitty asked again. Jonathan smiled.

“I can’t tell you...Evan would be mad. All that work he did to keep it a secret from everyone...Well...he didn’t do enough. I still got it. And I didn’t even have to strangle it out of him…” Jonathan laughed. “No...I got him to love me...got him to listen to me...What a wonderful thing it is to be loved by someone as good as him…” Jonathan spat blood onto the floor. His eyes lifted to the photos hanging above them. “You know what it feels like…” Smitty followed his gaze to the photos.

“Evan is dead.” Smitty hissed. “It doesn’t matter anymore what he would think if you told someone the code. You have no use for it. So just tell me.” Smitty’s grip on the gun in his hand tightened. Jonathan’s eyes remained on the photos. He said nothing. “Tell me!” Smitty screamed. Jonathan turned his head suddenly to look at Smitty. He smiled, his teeth red with blood. He suddenly lunged at Smitty, grabbing the gun before he could swing it at Jonathan again. He yanked it from Smitty’s hands and tossed it away, pinning him down to the cement floor. He punched Smitty once, twice, three times. Smitty tried to grab him but Jonathan caught his right wrist, his thumb digging into the deep wound left by his teeth. Smitty screamed in pain, blood gushing around Jonathan’s thumb. Smitty grit his teeth, managing to shove Jonathan off. He elbowed him hard, knocking him to the floor where pressed his knee down on his chest to hit him again. Jonathan’s hand curled around the gun and swung it at Smitty’s head.

Smitty’s ears rang. The world spun and blurred. Pain crashed over him. He fell back onto the cement floor, struggling to focus. The red neon light hurt. Jonathan pinned him down the floor, his bloody hands gripping the sides of Smitty’s head.

“You want to know the code? You really want to know it?” Jonathan snarled. “It’s four.” He smashed Smitty’s head on the cement floor. “One.” He smashed Smitty’s head down on the floor again. “Eight. Two. Five.” With every number, he smashed Smitty’s head on the floor. Blood soaked Smitty’s hair. It oozed around Jonathan’s fingers. He brought his head down one last time onto the floor before slowly letting go. Smitty didn’t move. His eyes were closed.

Jonathan smiled. He got up slowly, staggering a little. He reached for one of the photos, blood smearing over Evan’s face. He slowly began to walk towards the door. He’d get Luke to take care of Smitty’s body when he got back in a few hours. Maybe he’d have him throw him in the ocean or take him out to the desert like Brian had his boys take Evan out there.

No flowers grew in the desert.

A sudden white-hot pain exploded from Jonathan’s shoulder. He screamed as the golden blade was pulled from his shoulder and stabbed into his back again. Smitty tackled Jonathan to the floor, yanking the blade from his back as he did so. Smitty screamed as he stabbed Jonathan again and again, over and over. He lost count of how many times he stabbed the gold knife into Jonathan’s chest. Blood splattered onto his face and clothes. He was covered in it. He could taste it.

There was so much blood.

Smitty finally stopped, dropping the knife from Evan’s collection onto the cement floor. He heaved for air. He stared down at Jonathan, struggling to stay conscious. Jonathan's eyes were still open. Smitty fell off Jonathan onto the bloody cement floor, his eyes on the photos above him. Smitty winced as he managed to grab his phone. He called the first name he saw. He listened to it ring, hoping he’d be able to stay awake.

“Hello? Smitty where are you?”

“C-Craig...I-I need you….to come get me…” Smitty gasped, his head turning to look at the body that lay beside him. His head hurt. Shadows began to gather at the edges of his vision. “H-Hurry…”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the last chapter of Petals!!! Oh my gosh this is has been so much fun, thank you guys so so much for the support!! I'm super excited about this chapter!! I hope you enjoy it!!

“Truth or dare?” 

“Dare.” 

“I dare you to find an empty parking lot and do doughnuts or something as fast as you can.” 

“Evan I just got this car! I don’t want to crash it! I don’t even want to know how much you guys spent on it!” Smitty laughed. The sun was setting on his twenty-second birthday. The engine of the white Porsche roared as it sped down the quiet road. Evan smiled at him, the wind playing with his black hair. 

“I dare you!” He called out over the wind and the engine. His knuckles were bruised. Smitty looked at Evan and smiled. He suddenly turned onto the next street, following the signs to a mall that was closing soon. The expensive car sped into an empty parking lot. Evan laughed, holding on as the car began to drift, spinning in a sharp circle. Smitty laughed, turning the wheel sharply as the car continued to spin. The engine roared. The boys laughed and hollered. The smell of burning rubber and white smoke filled the air. Smitty stepped on the brake, the car coming to a stop. They giggled breathlessly, the setting sun casting the empty parking lot and the white car in a golden light. 

The smell of jasmine filled the air. 

Evan looked up at Smitty, breathing heavily. He smiled brightly. Smitty met his dark gaze, his smile widening. Evan could only stare at him, the pain he felt from last night’s fight forgotten. 

Smitty stared back him, caught up in Evan’s dark gaze. Smitty had never been looked at like this by anyone before. Evan made him feel like he was the only person in the world. Smitty wanted to reach for Evan’s hand but he stopped himself when he saw the bruises and cuts. He had only seen wounds like that once before when John had used a pair of brass knuckles. 

Evan looked away, hiding his right hand under his left. He felt like his secret was wedged between them, keeping them apart. 

Smitty looked away, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. He felt like his inability to ask what was wrong was keeping him from taking Evan’s hand in his. 

“We should be heading back,” Smitty said quietly, his eyes on the palm trees at the edge of the parking lot. 

“No.” Evan shook his head. “Let's keep driving.” He smiled. “We have nowhere to be.” 

“Okay.” Smitty nodded. He found himself smiling too. He couldn’t help it. He stepped on the gas, the car speeding out of the parking lot and back onto the road. The sky burst into oranges, pinks and reds as the sunset. The warm wind whipped through the car. Evan leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes as he held his hand out the window, feeling the wind between his fingers. Smitty glanced at Evan. He wanted to keep driving. He wanted this moment to last forever. 

They got burgers and milkshakes from a drive through and went up the mountain to the observatory. Sitting on the white wall overlooking the sparkling city, they ate their dinner. 

“Truth or dare?” Smitty asked, taking a sip of his strawberry milkshake. 

“Truth.” Evan smiled. 

“Are you happy?” Smitty asked. Evan’s dark eyes drifted to the city lights. He didn’t want to lie. Smitty couldn’t help but notice his hesitation. “Evan?” 

“I am happy right now...But I might not be tomorrow.” Evan said quietly. His gaze remained on the city lights. “I think one day...both of us will always be happy like we are right now.”

“I think so too.” Smitty smiled. He looked out over the city, watching the bright lights. A helicopter flew over the city. “We should be heading back soon.” 

“No. Let's stay out a little longer," Evan said. He didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to look at his phone. He wanted to stay here with Smitty. “We have nowhere to be.” Smitty glanced up at him. After a moment, he nodded. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend his birthday. 

The two boys sat on the cement wall, watching the city below them. From up here, they felt untouchable. Nothing down below could hurt them. Evan found himself leaning his head on Smitty’s shoulder. Smitty had stiffened when Evan placed his head on his shoulder but slowly relaxed into the gentle touch. Smitty closed his eyes, breathing in the night air. He didn’t want to go back home but he knew they’d have to eventually. Craig would start to worry. He always worried. Smitty opened his eyes, watching another helicopter. 

“Evan...We should really be heading back soon.” Smitty said softly. Evan shook his head. 

“Smitty.” Smitty turned suddenly, looking behind them. Evan’s brow furrowed. 

“What is it?” Evan asked, his large dark eyes on Smitty. 

“Nothing…” Smitty said, slowly turning to look down at Evan. “I just thought I heard…” 

“Smitty. Can you hear me?” The voice called out again. Smitty got up, looking in the direction of the voice. 

“Smitty…” Evan reached for him. Smitty looked back at him as Evan took his hand tightly in his. After a moment, Smitty let go of his hand and continued in the direction of the voice. 

“Smitty?” His eyes opened. His blurry vision slowly focused on Craig who stared down at him. Smitty blinked a few times, slowly taking in his bedroom around him. His head throbbed. He closed his eyes tightly. “How do you feel?” Craig asked gently. 

“M-My head...hurts…” 

“You have a concussion.” Craig sighed. “I’ll get you more painkillers. Just don’t move or get out of bed, okay? I’ll take care of you.” Craig smiled. Smitty slowly raised his hand to his head, feeling gauze wrapped tightly around it. “Smitty?” 

“Mmm?” 

“Did...Did you get the code?” Craig asked. Smitty struggled to remember. Everything was so foggy. Once he pushed through the blurry memories of pain and blood, were the numbers. Smitty managed a nod. “What is it?” Smitty sighed. He felt uncomfortable saying it. He shook his head. “Right...Evan made a promise…” Craig glanced up at the window. “You should have told us where you were going. You shouldn’t have gone alone. We have your back, Smitty. We always have and always will.” 

“I-I know…” 

“But...thank you for getting the code.” Craig managed a smile. “I feel like I can actually sleep well for once now.” He took a deep breath. “Those photos...Of Evan and all of us...We took them all. They are in a box downstairs. We thought that you should be the one to decide what to do with them.” Craig said. 

“T-Thank you…” Smitty said, struggling to keep his eyes open. “C-Can I go back to sleep?” 

“Yeah.” Craig laughed. “I’ll get you some more pain meds for when you wake up. Get your rest, Smitty.” Craig said as he got up. Smitty nodded, his eyes drifting shut. 

He was asleep before Craig reached the door. 

 

“He still isn’t talking much, but he’s awake more often now.” The sound of Craig’s voice found it’s way under Smitty’s bedroom door. Sitting in bed, Smitty’s eyes were on his window and the beach beyond. He watched the seagulls coast over the waves. He listened to the birds sing. 

Four days. 

It had been four days since he had stabbed Jonathan to death. 

Seven days. 

It had been seven days since Evan had died. 

"How was he when you found him? I heard he did a number on Jonathan.." The sound of Kelly's voice surprised Smitty. He thought he'd never see her again. 

“I was scared when we found him...I thought he was dead too. I just...I just can’t handle losing anyone else…” Craig’s voice quieted. 

Smitty closed his eyes. The image of Evan laughing with joy as the white Porsche spun wildly in the empty mall parking lot flashed through his mind. He ran his fingers over the buttercups on his wrist. He found himself whispering the code, memorizing it. He imagined Evan doing the same thing, saying it over and over till it was the only thing he could think about. 

Smitty’s door opened. He opened his eyes, looking up at Kelly who stood awkwardly by the door. She managed a smile and closed the door behind her. She sat down beside him, fidgeting with a small envelope in her hands. 

“How are you feeling?” Kelly asked.

“Not great...But I’ll survive.” Smitty said quietly. He took a deep breath, his eyes on the blankets. “Why are you here? I thought you were done with us.” 

“I want to say thank you...for killing Jonathan. It's freeing to know that he's gone.” Kelly's smiled disappeared. “I also want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t do more to save Evan. I was so scared and my first priority has always been my girls. I should have tried to tell you before he...he...I could see them watching my house. It was Luke and a few others. If I did anything...they’d have known but I should have done something. I was selfish. I’m sorry, Smitty.” A tear fell down Kelly’s cheek. 

“We can’t change what happened. Nothing we say is going to bring Evan back. You did what you could.” Smitty sighed. “It’s okay, Kelly.” Silence fell over the room as Kelly’s gaze broke away from his, her eyes on the window. For a few moments, they sat in silence, unable to think of anything to say. 

“Are you still angry at Evan?” Kelly asked, her eyes still on the window. Smitty shook his head. 

“I’m just sad...I thought...I thought we could tell each other everything, you know? I always told him the truth and I thought he always told me the truth...But it turns out that he had been lying to me. I wanted so badly for someone to be completely honest with me for once in my life. I thought he was different."

“I think Evan wanted to be completely honest with you but he was scared. He was scared of how you’d react, of how Brian might react. He didn’t want to leave you, Smitty. I gave him a plan to get out of harm's way and he fought me on it. He didn’t want to leave you behind.” Kelly reached for Smitty’s hand, holding it gently. “He loved you. I know he did.” Smitty couldn’t say anything. He wanted to believe her but he couldn’t ignore the fact Evan had lied to his face for what could have been years. “I know you are angry. You have every right to be...But...But don’t remember Evan like that. Remember him as someone who loved you.” She set the envelope down on the bedside table. “Jaclyn said Evan wanted you to have those photos. He was a bit high at the time…” She laughed. “But he was happy.” 

“I don’t want to see any more photos of Evan.” Smitty hissed. “Did Craig not tell you what Jonathan did?” Smitty looked up at her. Kelly looked down, sighing. 

She knew. 

"Smitty-" 

"I don't want to see them." Smitty snapped. Kelly sighed.

“Craig said you need to keep resting. I’ll leave you be.” She got up, heading towards the door. “Feel better.” She said before stepping out of the room The door closed. Smitty closed his eyes tightly, pressing his hands over his face. His right wrist was wrapped tightly in gauze. 

“Fuck…” He cried. His eyes welled up with tears. He wanted them all to leave. He wanted them to leave him. He hated the way they talked to him, as if stepping on eggshells, as if they didn’t want to acknowledge his heartbreak and grief. 

His phone went off. 

Smitty’s hands dropped from his face. He glanced over at the bedside table where he had left his phone. He had changed the background from the photo of him and Evan to solid black. He reached for the phone, opening the text. 

“How did it feel to kill Jonathan?” The unknown number asked. Smitty glanced up at the window and the warm beach outside. He could remember stabbing Jonathan the first time. He could remember the taste of blood. He could remember the animalistic scream of anger that had ripped itself from his chest as he stabbed Jonathan over and over again. Smitty looked down at his phone. He imagined that in the red neon light, covered in blood, he had looked like a monster; a Bogeyman.

“Good.” He answered. 

 

“Almost there,” Marcel said gently, his arm around Smitty. They moved slowly up the stairs of the old hotel, back to the room with the vault. Smitty held onto Marcel as they made their way up the last flight of stairs. Marcel pulled down the police tap that still over the door and held it open for Smitty. The second floor had blocked off, closed to guests. The hotel owner had reassured them that the vault hadn’t been found. They told the owner they knew nothing about the shooting that had happened a week ago. Smitty counted the days. 

Five days. 

Five days since Smitty had killed Jonathan. 

Five days since he had gotten the code. 

Eight days since Evan had bled out in his arms. 

One hour since Marcel, Brock and Craig had packed their suitcases in Craig’s car. 

There was a faint blood stain on the carpet in the hallway. Smitty felt sick looking at it as Craig unlocked the door to the small hotel room. No one said a word. Smitty tore his gaze away from the bloodstain and made his way into the empty room. There was a larger bloodstain on the old carpet inside the room. 

“Smi…” Evan had choked on his own blood, his eyes locked on Smitty. 

There had been so much blood. 

As much as he hated the thought, it made sense that Evan died here in front of the vault, taking the code with him. 

Smitty took a deep breath, slowly moving towards the vault that still had Evan’s blood on it. He knelt down, cleaning the blood off the keypad. 

“We’re leaving.” Craig had said the night before. “You are welcome to come with us or stay here, the choice is yours. Marcel, Brock and I are going to San Francisco to stay with Lui for a little while. We don’t know when we’re going to come back.” Craig hadn’t looked at Smitty who stared at him, his hands slowly curling into fists around his bedsheets. “It’s just...Brian is still out there...And we’ve had enough. We can’t do this anymore.” Craig had reached for Smitty’s hand, holding it tightly. Smitty let him do it even though he was sick of people holding his hand. “Smitty? Will you come with us? This place, it’s been cruel to you. You can start over. There’s no shame in walking away.” 

“I want to stay,” Smitty said sharply. He wanted to be alone. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well...At least think about it.” Craig had said. 

Now, staring at the keypad that had ruined Evan’s life, Smitty wanted nothing more than to crawl back into his bed and be forgotten. Smitty raised his shaking hand. 

“Four, one, eight, two, five…” He breathed, pressing the numbers. He closed his eyes. The vault unlocked. 

It felt wrong. 

Smitty stood up slowly, his muscles aching as he did so. “It’s all yours. Take what you need.” Smitty said quietly. No one moved. “Please. Just take it and go.” Marcel moved forward first. He pulled Smitty into a hug. After a moment,  Craig and Brock joined the hug. The four boys stood in silence, their arms around each other. Tears spilt from Smitty’s eyes. Craig rested his head against Smitty’s left shoulder, Brock’s on his right. Smitty began to sob. Marcel rested his chin on top of Smitty’s head. 

“It’s okay...It’s going to be okay.” Marcel said quietly. 

“Come with us, Smitty. It’s not too late.” Brock smiled reassuringly. Smitty shook his head. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Craig said softly. After a few moments, they moved away from the hug. Smitty rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. “Are you sure you want to stay here?” Craig asked quietly. 

“I don’t know what I want to do...I just...I just need some time.” Smitty managed to say. “I feel guilty and disgusting and horrible... I just need some time to think.” 

“You know where to find us,” Brock said. Smitty nodded. He stepped into the hallway as they took the money they needed. He struggled to keep his eyes off the bloodstain on the floor. He glanced down the hallway, wondering what it had been like for Evan moments before he died. He wondered if he had seen them drive up to the hotel, if he had known they were coming to save him. Smitty’s gaze lowered to the bloodstain. 

He hoped that Evan was buried in a place where flowers grew. 

When they were done with the vault, Smitty reluctantly went back into the room to close the vault. Craig gave him the room key. They made their way back downstairs, Craig and Marcel supporting Smitty. Outside it was hot, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the burning pavement. Heat waves rippled off the red and white sports cars. 

“So this is it.” Craig sighed. “Promise you’ll think about coming to join us.” Smitty nodded. Craig hugged Smitty tightly. “Goodbye.” 

“Bye…” Smitty managed to say. Craig moved away as he began to cry. Smitty hated the orderly line of goodbyes that followed, hugging Marcel and Brock and promising to call them soon. He watched them get into Craig’s car. He watched Craig turn the key, watched the car pull out of its parking spot and sped down the street. 

He watched the red car until it turned around the corner, disappearing from view. 

 

The fire crackled, spitting sparks into the night air. Smitty sat on the sand, watching the fire he had built. Beside him was the box of photographs taken from Jonathan's house. Smitty looked up at the polluted night sky above him. He took a deep breath and picked up the first photograph. He traced his finger over Evan’s face, feeling tears in his eyes. He grit his teeth. He didn’t want to cry anymore. He tossed the photo into the fire, watching it burn. He reached for the next photo. He was in this one. They were walking towards the flower store that Evan had liked. Smitty felt disgusted. He should have protected Evan better. He should have tried harder to find Jonathan instead of making Evan feel like he had to deal with it.

Evan had been a kid. 

Smitty was a criminal.

He tossed the photo into the fire. He watched as the fire got bigger with each photo he added. He remembered the burnt petal that had been lying on Evan’s floor. 

He wondered if Evan had watched something beautiful burn too. 

“Its good to burn stuff.” John had said, his eyes on the fire they had started in his backyard. The sixteen-year-old boy watched him dump a box of old clothes onto the fire. “Helps you let go.” The fire spat flames into the air. 

Smitty tossed another photo into the flames. 

He didn’t want to say goodbye to Evan just yet. 

“Do you still feel guilty?” Evan had asked years before, a gun in his hands for the second time. 

“Sometimes...If they had made me shoot you...I wouldn’t have forgiven myself.” Smitty remembered answering him. Evan had turned then, meeting Smitty’s gaze. It was the first time since John had left him that it felt like someone was actually looking at him, actually seeing him and not what he had endured. 

Smitty tossed another photo into the flames. 

“Evan...are you okay?” Smitty remembered watching Evan stagger into the hotel kitchen; his face pale. His shoes were bloody. He remembered wanting to throw down the gun in his hand. 

“I’m fine.” Evan had snapped, his gauze-wrapped hand curling into a fist. Smitty remembered looking down at Ryan, seeing the smug look on his bloody face. The only thing that kept Smitty from shooting him again was Evan. 

Smitty tossed another photo into the flames. 

“I dare you to jump off the pier,” Smitty remembered laughing, the hot sun washing over them. Down the beach, Craig and the others were still unloading boxes from the moving truck and carrying them into their new home. Smitty smiled. Evan wouldn’t do it. “I’m kid-“

“Okay.” Evan had said impulsively. Smitty’s brow furrowed. What had happened to the scared kid he knew? 

“Are you fucking serious?” Smitty had cried. He remembered watching Evan pull his shirt off and climb the wooden railing, remembered yelling at him as he jumped, remembered watching as he landed in the cold tide. 

“Are you coming in?” Evan had smiled cheekily when he resurfaced. Smitty had smiled then and was quick to join him, the cold ocean waves rolling around them. 

Smitty tossed another photo in the fire. 

“Don’t humour me.”

“I’m not,” Evan said as he pulled the owl mask from the box. Smitty watched as Evan’s lips pulled into a smile as he slipped the mask over his head. Smitty thought it looked a bit ridiculous but it was cute. He was right, the big bright owl eyes suited Evan. He remembered moving closer to Evan, his fears recklessly forgotten as he stared at Evan’s eyes through the mesh of the mask.“Thank you, Smitty.” Evan’s voice was muffled. Smitty placed his hands on Evan’s shoulders, his heart racing.

He was in love with Evan. 

Evan began to pull the mask off. “Smitty-“ He kissed him, his eyes closed tightly. His hands travelled up Evan’s neck to his face, gently cupping his head. He felt his soft hair under his fingers, felt Evan relax into the kiss, his arms wrapping around Smitty. He heard the owl mask fall from Evan’s head and land on the patio floor. Breathless, Smitty broke away, leaning his forehead against Evan’s. He watched him open his big, bright eyes. “Smitty…” 

Smitty tossed the last few photos onto the fire. He looked back down at the box, seeing the envelope that Kelly had left for him. He intended to burn it without even looking but his curiosity got the better of him. Slowly he opened the envelope. Inside were polaroid photos of Evan. He was sitting on the edge of a bathtub, a dazed, happy smile on his face. His cheeks were glittering. Smitty found himself smiling as he began to cry again, his shoulders shaking. He hugged the photos to his chest, closing his eyes tightly as he cried. The warm firelight cast a flickering orange light over him and the sand. 

Holding the photos tightly, he sat on the sand and watched the fire burn until it died, the sky slowly starting to brighten. Tired, Smitty got up. He kicked sand over the burned wood and ash and headed back to the house, the polaroids still in his hands. 

It was silent inside the beach house. It felt empty. Smitty kicked off his sandals and got a glass of water. The ice clinked against the glass. He set the remaining photos down on the table and picked up his phone. His brow furrowed. 

“You need to disappear.” The unknown number had texted him. 

“What do you mean?” Smitty answered. 

“Jonathan was not the only player left in the game. You didn’t take into account his friend. We both need to disappear, Smitty. Let me help you.” The unknown number responded. 

“What do you want from me?” Smitty asked. 

“I want you to follow the instructions I am about to send you.” A moment later, another text appeared on the screen. 

“I don’t see how this will make me disappear.” Smitty typed out. He reread the instructions before hitting send. 

“I will explain more tomorrow. Somethings are too important to be told through texts.” The unknown number sent a winking face. 

“Why should I believe you? I don’t even know who you are!” 

“I have no reason to lie to you. Your friends made the right decision getting out of town when they did. All hell is about to break loose on you in the coming days if you don’t listen to me.” Smitty sighed. He glanced out at the beach. After a moment, he began to type out a response. 

“I still don’t believe you.” He hit send. 

The unknown number responded quickly. 

Smitty gripped his phone tightly, his eyes widening. 

He told himself not to get his hopes up. It could be anything. He didn't want to be let down but he couldn't help the spark of hope he felt in his chest. 

“I’ll do it.” He texted back. 

 

The white Porsche sped down the quiet street. Smitty felt sick with nerves but he had to do this. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, taking the next turn. The world was illuminated with a dim blue glow as the sun began to rise. The morning birds were beginning to sing. Smitty's heart was racing. At an intersection, he reread the instructions as well as the last text message from the unknown number.

It could be anything. 

"Don't get your hopes up..." He told himself again. The light turned green and he stepped on the gas. 

The smell of jasmine filled the air. 

He suddenly pulled over, the engine still rumbling. He turned the key, the engine turning off. He sat in silence for a few minutes, his eyes on the empty road around him. 

It could be anything. 

It could be something he already knew. 

Or it could be a miracle. 

Smitty took a deep breath before grabbing his gun from the glove compartment and got out. He glanced up and down the empty street before crossing, tucking his gun into his jeans. 

Across the street was an old telephone booth. Smitty put in a few coins, his hands shaking. 

“You don’t believe me?” The unknown number’s text had said. 

Smitty quickly dialled the number, the old metal buttons shinning in the dim light. 

“Hello? Los Angeles police. What is your emergency?” 

“I-I...I have a confession to make…” Smitty stammered. 

“A confession?” The operator sounded confused. Smitty glanced back at the empty road, his chest tight with nervousness. 

He had to trust whoever it was that had given him the instructions. 

“If you follow the two instructions I’ve given you...I’ll tell you something important about Evan.” The text from the unknown number had said. 

Smitty took a deep breath, bracing himself for the words that he was about to say. 

“I killed someone…” 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Petals!! Oh my gosh this ending. I'm actually tearing up. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me! It means the world! Lately, I've been struggling a lot and seeing you guys give my works support means so much. The amount of times I've cried over the beautiful things you guys have done for Petals omg. Speaking of which, I want to give a huge shoutout to Bitchassmadej (bitchassmadej.tumblr.com), Cherrqries (cherrqries.tumblr.com), and Culturalmochi (culturalmochi.tumblr.com) for their amazing art they did for Petals!! Also thank you to Goldenquiznak for the super cool video edit! Check it out here -> ghosstkid.tumblr.com/post/173455128904/goldenquiznak-so-i-made-a-thing-ghosstkid  
> Make sure to check out all of these artists amazing work!!  
> I also want to give a huge I love you to the Ghost Kids on tumblr!!! Reading your theories and comments about Petals always makes me so happy!! Thank you so much!! Thank you to MelonMellow for all your support! You are so wonderful! Make sure to check out her fics (archiveofourown.org/users/Melonmellow/pseuds/Melonmellowbr)  
> I also want to give a huge thank you and I love you to my friend Obsessive-introvert (obsessive-introvert.tumblr.com)! Thank you for letting me talk about this fic so much with you lol!  
> Thank you to everyone who has supported me! You mean so much to me.  
> I'm really excited about the fic I am doing. It's called 'King of the Kill'! I hope you enjoy it as much as you've enjoyed Petals!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the last chapter of Petals.

“First, you are to go to a phone booth and make a call to the police. Tell them that you murdered someone. Tell them your name. Tell them where they can find the body. Hang up. Then you are to go to the house across from you and shoot the man who answers the door. He has a bounty so I will pay you for it. Leave as soon as the job is done. Pack a bag when you get home. Plan to never come back. Second, there is a pub on Hollywood Blvd. Meet me there at 1:45 pm.”

Blood soaked into the wood floor. The gun in Smitty’s hand trembled as he reread the instructions that had been sent to him. On the floor in front of him was the body of a man, his skull blown apart. He raised his phone to take a picture, sending it to the unknown number. A moment later, a message popped up on the screen. “Nicely done. Get out of there before the police show up. I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll see you soon.” The message was followed with a winking emoji. Smitty stuffed his phone into his pocket and hurried back outside to his car. He took a deep breath, leaning his head back against the headrest of the car.

It could be anything.

He told himself not to get his hopes up.

The white Porsche sped off as the first police car came around the corner, its red and blue lights illuminating the street.

Instead of going straight home, he drove aimlessly through the streets of Los Angeles, only half focused on the road in front of him. Palm trees swayed in the wind.

The smell of jasmine flowers floated through the air.

“Smi…” Evan had choked out, blood oozing from between his lips.

There had been so much blood.

“Evan! Evan! Stay with me, please! Stay with me!” Smitty had wailed, gently cupping Evan’s face with his bloody hands. “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry...Evan please!”

There had been so much blood.

There was no way.

Smitty shook his head, gripping the steering wheel tighter. He glanced at the empty passenger seat. Evan was gone. He wasn’t coming back. He died on the old, disgusting hotel carpet in front of the vault. He died in his arms. He was certain of it.

Evan wasn’t coming back.

Smitty’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror. He hadn't noticed until now that a black car was keeping pace with the white sports car, following it down the street. Smitty’s gaze went back to the road. He turned left onto a palm tree-lined road.

The black car did the same.

Smitty watched it for a moment in his rearview mirror before stepping on the gas. The black car remained close behind him.

“Fuck.” Smitty hissed, glancing back over his shoulder at the black car. He awkwardly reached for his gun in the glove box. He turned, shooting out the back window. He shot at the black car, watching it serve suddenly. Smitty turned in his seat, stepping on the gas. He didn't see the black car suddenly sped up, hitting the back of the Porsche. Smitty was lurched forward, his head nearly hitting the steering wheel. Smitty gripped the wheel tightly, the white car going faster. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

The black car was suddenly beside him.

The window shattered.

Smitty screamed, stepping on the brake as he threw his arms over his head, ducking down as glass flew through the air. More gunshots echoed through the quiet street. Bullets ricocheted off the white metal.  
The black car suddenly sped off, it’s tyres screeching.

Smitty slowly raised his head, heaving for air. “Fuck…” He breathed. The interior of the expensive car was full of glass. The driver’s window was shattered, the windshield badly cracked. The back window was blown out, glass covering the seats. “Shit.” He hissed. He hit the steering wheel. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw nothing but the empty road behind him.

He had to get home.

 

  
The hot California sun shone down on the cab as it made its way down Hollywood Boulevard. Smitty leaned his head against the window, watching the city fly by. Beside him was his black duffel bag. He glanced at the time.

1:40 pm.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He had no idea what he was getting himself into, had no idea who this person was and what they would tell him. He should have left with Craig and the others. It was safer with them.

“We’re in Monterey.” Craig had said that morning over the phone. Smitty could hear seagulls and the sounds of voices, clinking glasses and cutlery. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” Smitty said as he packed a bundle of clothes into his bag beside the guns and the envelope containing the photos of Evan.

“Have you thought about coming up to meet us? About leaving Los Angeles?” Craig asked. Smitty stared down at the duffel bag.  
“No.” He lied.

“We can wait another day here if you want to join us. It’s no big deal.” Craig said. Smitty could tell he was trying to not sound pushy. Smitty sighed.

Craig wanted them all to be a family again.

“Keep going. It’s okay.” Smitty said after a moment.

“How is everything there?” Craig asked.

“Fine.” Smitty zipped the duffel bag closed.

“That’s good...I’ll call you tomorrow. Sound good?” Craig asked.

“Yeah.” Smitty sighed, wondering if he’d be able to answer it or not. They had said awkwardly said goodbye. Smitty took a deep breath, not wanting to cry again. He didn't have time to cry.

He stepped into Evan’s room, pulling out the box from under his bed. He took the sketchbook and Tyler’s gun. He loaded the gun and tucked it into his jeans. He put the notebook in his bag, hiding it under the clothes he had packed. He took another knife, a small sharp blade with a solid pink handle and slipped it into his pocket. He pushed the box back under the bed and got up. He took one last walk around the beach house before leaving, locking the door behind him. He parked his white Porsche in the garage, pulling a heavy tarp over it. Once the garage door was closed, he called a cab.

Silence filled the beach house.

The wind played with the soft white curtains.

The cab came to a stop out front of the Irish pub. Smitty paid the driver and got out, his bag over his shoulder. He slipped his right hand into his pocket, feeling the blade he had hidden there.

He pushed open the door.

The restaurant was empty. The TVS were off. No music played. He checked the address again, wondering if he had gotten the right place.

He checked the time.

1:46 pm.

They hadn’t left because he was one minute late, had they?

“Hello?”

“I thought I told you to be here at 1:45?” A familiar voice called out. Smitty’s blood ran cold. A blonde man in a suit stood up, stepping out of the booth where he had been sitting, a whiskey glass in his hand. Before he could react, Smitty had pulled Tyler’s gun out and was aiming it at his head. “Why are you surprised? You knew it was me.” Brian smiled.

“Go to hell.” Smitty snarled, cocking the gun.

“All I ask is that you sit down and listen to what I have to tell you. If you aren’t convinced by the end of my talk, you can put a bullet in my skull. How does that sound?” Brian said, gesturing to the booth beside him.  
“I don’t want to hear what you have to say you fucking bastard. You ruined Evan’s life.”

“I wasn’t the one who shot him twice in the back.” Brian reminded him casually. Smitty’s grip on the gun tightened.

“I did what you asked now tell me what you know about Evan,” Smitty demanded.

“Have a drink with me,” Brian said.

“Tell me what you know about Evan,” Smitty said through gritted teeth.

“I won’t say it again. Have a drink with me.” Brian said as he sat down in the booth.

Smitty didn’t move.

Silence filled the pub.

The fan on the ceiling spun.

A bus passed by outside.

The hot early afternoon sun spilt through the windows.

After a moment, Smitty took a step forward, the wood floor creaking under his bright yellow Vans. He sat down at the booth, setting his duffel bag down on the floor by his feet. He kept the gun aimed at Brian’s head. The sound of footsteps filled the pub. A waitress appeared by the table. She looked nervous.  “What’s your poison?” Brian asked.

“Rum and Coke,” Smitty said. The waitress nodded and disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. She returned a moment later with his drink, setting it down in front of him.

“Anything else?” She asked quietly. The ice cubes in Smitty's drink clinked against the glass.

“That’s all, love,” Brian said softly. She nodded and disappeared again. Smitty’s gun remained aimed at his head. “I know, I have a lot of explaining to do. Where do you want me to start?” Brian leaned back in his seat, taking a sip of his drink. Smitty said nothing. “I guess I’ll start the beginning. Yes, Evan was working for me. I trained him. Trained him on how to listen, how to lie, how to fight...How to kill. Things were fine for about three years. We started the night you guys took the vault.” Smitty’s left hand curled into a fist. He felt sick. “And it all fell apart when you thought it’d be a good idea to steal from me. Do you know what kind of situation you put Evan in by doing that?”

“We didn’t put him in that situation. I heard that you told him to sabotage the job.” Smitty snarled. “Don’t try that shit on me. You knew how anxious Evan was. You knew he’d have difficulty making a choice like that and you yet you still fed him to Jonathan when he didn't do what you asked. Fuck you.” Brian sighed.

“You’re right. I knew he would have difficulty...”

“And you made him do it anyways! Fuck you! I should shoot you right now just for that.” Smitty’s voice rose.

“I can’t justify my actions to you. You won’t understand. Tyler filled your head with the idea that you are heroes.” Brian snapped.

“I’m not a hero.” Smitty hissed. Brian looked surprised. “I’m a criminal. I have blood on my hands and so do you. I know I’ve done horrible things. You, on the other hand, sit on your high horse and pretend that you are right about everything, that you are above the average criminal. You're not above anyone.”

“Don’t pretend that Tyler didn’t do the same. Don’t pretend that he didn’t know what happened to John that day when Adam died.” Brian growled. Smitty stared at Brian, his jaw clenching.

He knew John was dead, knew something horrible had happened to him, knew Tyler knew something about it, but he never asked him about it.

He didn't want to know what happened.

Smitty fought back the tears that welled up in his eyes.

He would not cry in front of Brian.

“Tyler is dead. There is no point in talking about him anymore. I’m here because you promised me something about Evan. So either you tell me what it is, or I’m going to shoot you right now and walk out that door. I don’t give a shit about anything else you have to say to me.” Smitty hissed.

“I like you. You're a no bullshit kind of person. I appreciate that.” Brian said after a moment. He smiled. “I’ll cut to the chase. You’ve pissed off Luke who just happens to have a lot of money now because of his little side business of stealing from me. And he wants you and everyone you love dead. Cliche yes, but he’s determined. More importantly, he wants me dead for letting Jonathan die after promising I'd protect him. So you and I need to disappear. I can help you. I’ve already got the ball rolling. Last night, you murdered a man and told the police. At exactly three o’clock this afternoon, I am going to anonymously call the police and give them a tip about where they can find you. You will be arrested but will never make it to the station. In return for getting you out of harm's way, I want you to work for me.” Brian said, folding his hands on the table. “That’s it. There’s no fine print. If Luke thinks you and I are dead, he’ll back off. For now. That gives us enough time to get rid of him. It also saves everyone else. It puts someone who cannot defend himself right now out of harm's way.”

“Who?” Smitty’s brow furrowed. Brian smiled, reaching into his suit jacket. Smitty tensed.

“Relax.” Brian pulled out a small piece of paper. He tossed it down on the table. Smitty stared at it. It was a three digit number; 524.

“What is this?” Smitty demanded.

“What do you think it is?”

“I’m not here to play games. What is this?”

“It’s the number for a room in the intensive care ward of the Good Samaritan Hospital here in L.A...It’s where you will find Evan.” Brian said quietly. Smitty stared at the number written in blue ink on the small piece of paper.

Brian was joking. He had to be joking.

This was a cruel joke.

There had been so much blood.

There was no way Evan was alive.

“He died...I-I...I held him...there was so much blood…” Smitty managed to say.

“He was technically dead for about a minute, I heard. Evan is alive. Comatose...But alive. That kid's a fighter." Brian said quietly. “If you shoot me and walk out that door, I cannot stop Luke from marching into that hospital and putting a bullet in Evan’s head. I’ve had my guys watching that building since you put him in there. I’ve been protecting him and his mother. What have you been doing?”

“I-I...I held him in my arms...He stopped breathing!” Smitty cried. “He’s dead! You are lying to me! This is some sick, disgusting prank!” Smitty stood up suddenly, spilling his drink. He pressed the end of the gun barrel against Brian’s head. He didn’t flinch, didn’t fight Smitty. He simply stared up at him, waiting to see if he would pull the trigger.

“What’s worse? Someone who murders senselessly? Or someone who lets that person murder senselessly?” Brian asked. Smitty stared down at him, his hands shaking. “Luke doesn’t care. He will kill a defenceless boy in his hospital bed.”

“I don’t believe you. Evan is dead.”

“You have to trust me.”

“Go to hell.”

“I’ve lost too many good men because of this mess, Smitty. I lost my driver. His body is still floating in the ocean. I didn’t want him to die.” Brian looked heartbroken for a moment. “But there are rules. You can’t bite the hand that feeds you. You know that." Brian grit his teeth. "You lost a good man. Now...we are going to lose Evan too if you don’t listen to me.”

“Don't say 'we'. You didn't care about Evan.”

"I care about Evan."

"No, you don't." Smitty hissed, his grip on the gun tightening.

“You are hesitating to shoot me.” Brian pointed out.

“I’m not.”

“You are. A part of you actually believes me. After all the shit you have been through, after running away from home, after John, after Tyler, after all that pain and the lies, you’ve finally been given a miracle. Don’t lose it over pride, Smitty. There is something good in this world and he is lying on that hospital bed.” Brian cried.

“Stop talking.” Smitty hissed. “Don’t you dare preach to me.”

“If you disappear with me now, Evan is out. He’s out for good. No one is ever going to go after him. His bounty is forgotten. He’s free.” Brian wasn’t trying to bargain with him and Smitty knew it.

“Evan died. He died. I held him while he died…”

“You left him in that hotel hallway. You shot him and took off. All of you did. You accepted that he was dead because the alternative option was that he survived, which he did, and he will forever be scared by something you did in a blind rage and he might not forgive you. I don’t know what else to say to you, Smitty. You fucked up and I’m giving you the option you have to fix it.”

“You told me to kill Jonathan.”

“I gave you the address. I told you that I knew you wanted to kill him. You made the choice to kill him. You could have stayed home.” Brian sighed. “I will admit that I had no idea at the time what Luke was capable of doing. If I had I would not have given you Jonathan’s location.”

“You knew I’d do it though! You knew I’d go after Jonathan!”

“I did.”

“This is your fault.”

“Both of us are to blame. I’m in the line of fire now too, Smitty! Luke wants to kill me as much as he wants to kill you. So if we work together on this, if you trust me, I can get us both out!” Brian cried. “I can get Evan out!”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Yes, you do. You are alone right now, Smitty. Your back is against the wall and if you kill me it won't be long before you are dead too.”

“No. I'm not alone. I can leave here anytime. I’m not trapped here. Luke's not gonna find me.”

“Right now you aren’t trapped. But what about a few hours from now? What about tomorrow?” Brian asked. Smitty stared down at him, remembering the bullets fired at his car that morning. “Enough talking. Either you shoot me right now, or we disappear.” Brian said, his icy eyes locked on Smitty’s.

Smitty’s grip tightened on Tyler’s gun in his hand.

The fan spun.

A loud sports car passed outside, it's engine roaring.

The ice cubes from Smitty's spilt drink melted on the table.

Brian's gaze didn't waver. “What will it be?”

  
  
“Excuse me...Sorry.” The young man awkwardly made his way past a family, the large bouquet of flowers he held with his left arm momentarily obscuring his gaze. In his right hand was a heavy duffel bag. His yellow Vans squeaked on the polished white floor. “Um...Can you tell me where room 524 is?” He asked a nurse as she was leaving the ward.

“Down the hall on your left.” She smiled. “You’ll have trouble finding space for those.” She said with a smile as she gestured to the bouquet of hyacinths in Smitty’s hand.

“Oh...Thank you.” Smitty said quietly before hurrying down the hall. He counted the room numbers.

The door to room 524 stood open.

Smitty stopped in the hallway, his heart racing. He took a deep breath. A part of him still didn't believe Brian.

Slowly, he stepped into the room.

“More flowers?” Sitting by the window was Evan’s mother. She stood up, smiling.

Smitty’s eyes drifted to the boy who lay on the bed.

His right hand and wrist were in a cast. There were IVs and blood bags hooked up to him. His eyes were closed, the rose that had been drawn on his cheek now gone. He looked pale.

Smitty's eyes welled up with tears

On the tables, the window sill, and even on the other chair by the bed were flowers of all kinds.

There were so many flowers.

Their petals filled the room with colour.

"Who...Who gave him all the flowers?" Smitty asked. Evan's mother shrugged.

"I don't know. I just arrived the morning after his first surgery and they were all here."

"First surgery?"

"Yes...He has a long way to go." She sighed, tears in her eyes. Smitty looked down at the duffel bag in his hand. He handed the bag to Evan’s mother.

“I hope it’s enough to cover all of it and then some.” He said as she opened the bag. Her eyes widened.

It was full of cash.

“I can’t…”

“Please. It’s okay.” Smitty said, his eyes drifting back to Evan. She looked back down at it. He could see tears in her eyes. She set it down and hugged Smitty tightly.

“Thank you...?"

"Smitty."

"Thank you, Smitty. I think Evan mentioned you before...I think he likes you.” She smiled. Smitty felt his cheeks warm. He lowered his eyes to the floor. “I’m glad you brought him hyacinths. He said once that he’d get a tattoo of them." Smitty raised his gaze to look at Evan, feeling his eyes water. "I’m personally not a big fan of tattoos but…” She trailed off when she saw Smitty staring at the boy in the bed. The sound of the heart monitor filled the room. “Do you want to be alone for a minute?”

“Please...If that’s okay.”

“I’ll be in the hall.” She said quietly. She closed the door behind her.

For a moment, Smitty didn’t move.

He listened to Evan’s heartbeat.

Slowly, he moved forward, sitting down on the bed. He set the bouquet down on the table beside a vase of yellow and pink azaleas.  
“I’m sorry, Evan…” Smitty whispered even though he knew Evan couldn’t hear him. “I hope you wake up soon...All of these flowers can’t last forever you know.” He managed a sad smile. He reached for Evan’s left hand, holding it tightly in his. He pressed a kiss to Evan’s fingers. “I don’t want to say goodbye, Evan...But I have to...I hope...I hope one day...We’ll be happy again.” Smitty closed his eyes tightly. He held Evan's limp hand tightly, a sob shaking his shoulders. "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you...But you're free now...You're free. No more Bogeyman." Tears fell from Smitty's eyes to the blue blanket. "You're free."

Smitty glanced at the time.

3:11 pm.

He was out of the time.

He glanced at the window, hearing the faint sound of sirens. 

Smitty leaned forward, pressing a kiss on Evan’s forehead. “Goodbye, Flower Boy.” Smitty stood up. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a little note written on a page from Evan's notebook and placed it beside the hyacinths. He stared down at Evan, watching his chest slowly rise and fall, listening to his heartbeat.

The sirens got louder.

Smitty turned, leaving the room.

He didn't look back.

He said a quick goodbye to Evan’s mother, making his way towards the stairs. Outside, several police cars came to a sudden stop out front of the hospital. Smitty stopped at the door to the lobby. He looked back up the stairs.

He didn’t want to go.

He pushed open the door.

“Hands in the air!” A police officer yelled. Smitty put his hands up, dropping to his knees. He didn’t fight back as he was handcuffed. He didn’t fight as he was hauled to his feet and shoved towards the door. He didn’t fight as he was put into the back of one of the cop cars.

Smitty’s eyes were on one of the windows on the fifth floor.

He didn’t want to go.

His eyes remained on the window as the car pulled out of the parking lot. He kept staring at it till he could no longer see it.

Slowly, he closed his eyes, bracing for what came next.

  
  
“Ma’am? Is everything okay in here?”

“Yes. What’s going on? Why are there so many officers out front?” Evan’s mother asked. She stood in front of her son’s bed, a worried look on her face.

“Did a young man by the name of Smitty happen to come in here?” The officer asked.

“No.” She said, discreetly kicking the black duffel bag further under Evan’s bed. 

“Oh...I see. Sorry to bother you, ma’am.” The officer said, glancing around the room one more time before leaving. She sighed, sitting back down in her chair.

The smell of jasmine flowers floated through the window.

Surrounded by flowers, Evan slept peacefully. 


End file.
